


Not so Boring

by Spfangirlnya



Category: South Park
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Bad Flirting, Bad Jokes, Bad Parenting, Bullying, Canon-Typical Behavior, Consensual Sex, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Female Protagonist, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Horny Teenagers, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Multiple Endings, POV Female Character, POV First Person, Reader-Insert, References to Canon, Romantic Friendship, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Indulgent, Self-Insert, Slow Build, Slow Burn, South Park References, Teenage Drama, Underage Drinking, Underage Smoking, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:07:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 41
Words: 136,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29603610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spfangirlnya/pseuds/Spfangirlnya
Summary: (Quotev) A new girl moves to the snowy town. Her inner fangirl becomes too much when she’s around the teens of South Park High School. Will she find the friends she always dreamed of?
Relationships: Christophe "The Mole"/Reader, Clyde Donovan/Reader, Craig Tucker/Reader, Damien Thorn/Reader, Eric Cartman/Reader, Gregory of Yardale/Reader, Jimmy Valmer/Reader, Kenny McCormick/Reader, Kyle Broflovski/Reader, Leopold "Butters" Stotch/Reader, Michael (South Park: Raisins)/Reader, New Kid | Douchebag/Reader, Pete Thelman/Reader, Stan Marsh/Reader, Token Black/Reader, Trent Boyett/Reader, Tweek Tweak/Reader, Wendy Testaburger/Reader
Kudos: 12





	1. The New Kid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is edited by my kind writer friend, Forthwrite, on Quotev.
> 
> This is my first fanfic. I casually started writing to fangirl about SP but then this happened.
> 
> The original story is still ongoing on Q along with author's notes and fanarts from readers.

_'So this is South Park, huh?’_ I thought, looking around my new yard.

I remembered the conversation my parents had with me a month ago. They wanted us to get away and move to a beautiful place far away from the city, so here we were outside our moving truck, standing in front of our new home.

In South Park, a place covered in nothing but snow.

I didn't hate it, it was just something different. It wasn't exactly a shock either. I researched the place before I moved here, using an app to look around the town from a pedestrian's perspective. I even managed to make an online friend who lives here. We agreed to meet up on Saturday, which just so happened to be tomorrow, at a nearby park so that they could show me around town. I peered over the fence that separated my back and front yards, trying to get my first glimpse at where I'd be touring. A row of businesses caught my eye, and I was glad to see them. They made this place look more like a town and less like a frozen wasteland.

When my parents told me that I was moving to South Park, I wasn't angry or sad. I was more surprised than anything, seeing as my parents really dislike inconveniences, and moving sounded like the ultimate pain in the behind. Apparently, they thought it was worth it after they heard about the bullying situation that I had at my previous high school. They didn't hesitate to leave.

My bullying problem isn't a problem anymore since this is a new place and a new me.

Most of our things had already been brought inside by the moving company, so we only had a small truckload of boxes left to move into our house. Our new home is pretty cute.

"I think I might like it here," I said to myself, watching my breath transform into a cloud in the cold Colorado air. Movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I glanced over at the window of one of my neighbors, spotting an adorable kid right as he ducked out of sight. I absolutely love cute things and cuties _._ I could see the black-haired kid peeking through the window again, so I waved, and he waved back. I saw him turn his head while pointing at me.

"Y/N!" My mom called from within our house. I glanced up again as I ran to my front door, making eye contact with a surprised-looking teen who wore a hat just as green as his eyes. My parents told me that once I finished moving all the boxes into the house and unpacked then I could look around the neighborhood. A few hours later, all the boxes were in the house and I was lazily unpacking my third box. I decided that was good enough and quickly threw on a warmer outfit, sprinting outside before my parents could catch me.

"Bye Mom, bye Dad, I'm going outside!" I yelled into the house, pulling the door behind me.

"Don't stay out too late!" My dad managed to rush out just before the door closed. Usually, I could come and go from my house whenever I pleased, since there was never anyone around to stop me anyways. My parents' job made it, so that on some days, they'd leave for work and not come home for the night. Therefore, I was home by myself a few days a week.

I wondered if I can see the green-eyed teen and the kid again. I looked up to see an empty window, so I guess not. I shrugged and strolled down the sidewalk in the opposite direction.I hope I can meet some cuties today so I can make some friends. I passed by a few places and saw children playing when I saw it, _no_ , I sensed it even before I saw it. A coffee place. I love coffee. 

It was as if my feet knew to take me here. It had to be an act of divine intervention. I patted my pocket to make sure I had my wallet before I sprinted towards the building like my life depended on it. When it comes to things I like, I'm pretty dramatic. They don't call me Dramatic Y/N for nothing. To be honest, no one actually calls me that.

"W-welcome!" The boy behind the register grunted as I walked up to him.

"Hi!" I said, looking him over. He looked around my age and he had wild blond hair. He looked really nervous, but upon closer inspection, maybe spazzy was the better word.

"Hello. Are you n-new? TOO MUCH PRESSURE!"

I stared at him with a blank expression, and he began to shake. I didn't mean to creep him out and he seemed to be nervous. I couldn't help but say what was on my mind as I looked at him. "Cute."

"Huh?" The blond boy tilted his head in confusion.

"You're very cute." I spoke bluntly and I watched as his face went bright red. I couldn't help it, since he reminded me of a small animal. His hair looked super soft and his alertness reminded me of a bunny or a squirrel.

"I'm sorry," I tried to alleviate his embarrassment. "My name is Y/N, and my family just moved in today. What's your name?"

"My name is Tweek, it's nice to meet you! Welcome to South Park. This coffee shop actually belongs to my parents." He twitched.

"That's pretty cool! It must be fun." I smiled.

"Yeah, I love the coffee, but it can get pretty o-overwhelming!" He flinched a little.

"You're doing great, don't worry," I reassured him, before remembering why I was here. "Oh, right, I still have to order. I'll just have whatever coffee you recommend!" He cracked a small smile and nodded, walking away to fulfill my order.

I walked over to one of the tables in the shop, sitting down and staring at him while he worked. Despite being nervous and twitchy, he was very efficient, making my drink quickly without spilling a single drop. I giggled at my thoughts, making him glance at me, so I was quick to look away and pretend that I wasn't staring. Despite that, I'm sure that I knew that he knew that I was looking at him.

"Here you go," he startled me by placing my drink in front of me.

"T-thank you!" Somehow, I got nervous.

"You're welcome. Let me know how you like it." He smiled once more as he walked away. It hadn't even been an hour since I left home and I already ran into a cute boy. I continued to stare at him as I drank my coffee, thoroughly enjoying both the taste and the sight. When we made eye contact, I flashed him a thumbs up and he nervously smiled. When I finally looked away, I could've sworn that there were eyes on me, but when I looked around, there was no one looking at me.

"Hey, Tweek! We came to say hi!" A Brunette burst through the door, yelling at full volume, which made me jump out of my skin.

"Hey, guys!" Tweek replied. Shockingly, he wasn't nervous.

"We were driving by," said another boy, this one with a purple shirt that had the letter T on it. I watched the three interact, lifting my cup to my lips. I questioned if this was reality and if all the teens in this town were this handsome. I was internally screaming. It was truly a sight to behold. I ate these eye candies right up, staring at them without blinking. The boy with brown hair caught my gaze and gave me a surprised expression that quickly morphed into an excited grin.

"Hello, pretty girl!" He called, speeding over to my table and inviting himself to sit next to me. "Why haven't we met yet? My name is Clyde!" He put out his hand and I took it. He shook it like a madman, and his energy must have been contagious because I soon found myself whipping my whole arm up and down in response, which made us both laugh.

"Her name is Y/N. She just moved here today!" Tweek answered for me.

The third boy approached, and I looked up at him as he started to speak. "Hi, my name is Token. Nice to meet you, Y/N." I offered him a handshake and he slipped his hand into mine, giving me a quick, firm shake. I appreciated the fact that he didn't try to rip my arm off like Clyde.

"So, Y/N, how old are you? Got any sisters? Do you have a boyfriend?" Clyde shot a volley of questions at me while Token chuckled.

"I'm seventeen, nope, and double nope." I shook my head. Clyde scooted his chair closer to me in response, and I couldn't help but laugh at how cheesy he was being. I would usually be weirded out if some random person started flirting with me, but something about Clyde made me feel relaxed. Maybe it was because he was cute. They proceeded to tell me that they were all the same age as me, and we figured out that I would be going to the same school as them after the weekend was over.

We looked at the door when we heard the bell above it ring, and another teen with a blue hat strolled in. He emotionlessly looked around, giving a nod to Tweek who nodded in return. When he spotted our little group, he walked over to us. Upon seeing his face closer, my heart leapt into my throat, but I fought to keep my expression neutral.

' _Another handsome boy? South Park, you're the best!_ '

"Clyde, you said you were running in real quick to say hi to Tweek. I've been waiting in the car for hours." He deadpanned.

"We were saying hi to the new girl, she just moved in!" Clyde waved him off. "Y/N, this is Craig! Don't let him scare you. He's cool, but not as cool as me. And Craig, this is Y/N, my new girlfriend." My eyes widened, and I was just about to deny Clyde's claim, when he laughed. He's a smooth boy.

"Nice to meet you," I waved at Craig, trying to ignore how hot my face felt. He simply stared at me and gave me the middle finger. I was completely dumbfounded for a second there, but I decided to play it off.

"Uh, right back at ya," I said, returning the gesture with both hands. For a moment, he looked surprised, but then he gave me a small, amused smile.

' _Phew.'_

If I was being honest, I'm always nervous about meeting new people even if I hide it well. The butterflies that made their home in my stomach were especially active this time because they were all so good looking. I internally cheered at how smoothly this had gone despite how nervous hot boys made me. I was being shallow, _no_ , I was just very enthusiastic about things like this. They don't call me Enthusiastic Y/N for nothing even though no one calls me that.

The boys filled me in on some details, both large and small. They told me about how they all grew up together and about school. They mentioned the popular girls including Token's girlfriend, Nichole. Clyde made it a point to inform me that the rest of the guys were single, just in case I needed to make a mental note of that, which I did. I like gazing at handsome guys, especially if they happen to be single.

The last thing they warned me about was the crazy stuff that happens around South Park. At first, I thought they were joking, but once I realized that they were serious, I couldn't help but wonder what was in store for me in this little town.

Despite what it looked like at first glance, South Park may never be boring.


	2. New Chatroom

I instantly clicked with Clyde, Tweek, Token, and even Craig. I found Craig watching me most of the time with a disinterested look, but his thoughtful responses told me he was a good listener. I felt shy when speaking with him, since I didn't know what he could be thinking about. Clyde was a mood maker with his jokes and Token was charming with his down to earth attitude. I enjoyed watching Tweek join our conversations without being super anxious. I couldn’t wait to get to know these boys better. I felt my phone buzz and quickly peeked at my text.

“Sorry, I should head home.” I looked at the boys who returned disappointed expressions.

”Y/N, let’s exchange numbers!” Clyde grabbed his phone ready to enter my number.

“Only if you promise not to send me flirty texts.”

”No promises,” he grinned. I quickly got their numbers, and as I stood up to leave, I hurriedly went up to Tweek.

“Sorry, this is bugging me,” I told him, grabbing his shirt. I unbuttoned the misplaced buttons and then properly buttoned it up. “There.” I smiled admiring his shirt before looking up at his face, making myself blush with how close I was to him.

”Jelly.” Clyde spoke.

”Got to go, bye!” I escaped, leaving a similarly blushing Tweek. Clyde saying 'jelly' was cute since I hadn’t heard anyone saying that, when referring to being jealous, in a long time. I skipped home until I approached my familiar neighborhood. At the house next to my home, I could see four figures loitering and I immediately recognized the green hat from afar.

' _That’s enough meeting people for one day, please._ '

The feeling of exhaustion was coming to me after a long day of moving and meeting new people. I was hoping they wouldn’t notice me as I walked across the street, but as I got closer, their conversation stopped. I could feel their eyes on me as I started walking up to my lawn of snow. Getting a better view of their appearances, I immediately changed my mind.

My exhaustion was gone. My acne cleared. My crops were flourishing.

I awkwardly stuttered a hello to these attractive teens. If South park was a deity, I would be an overzealous religious worshiper. The handsome train seemed to never stop.

The green hat teen spoke first once I was within range, “Hi, I’m Kyle. I was wondering who was moving in yesterday. I live here.” He pointed at his house. His red curly hair peaked from under his hat.

“Yeah, I saw you and your little brother earlier. I’m Y/N.”

”Mmmmphh, mmphh, mphhh,” conveyed the boy within the orange parka. His sparkling blue eyes was entrancing, I felt like I could stare at them forever.

“I understand.” I told him point blank. The black hair boy next to him chuckled and pulled down his friend’s hoodie, revealing an attractive Blondie.

' _Great God of South Park, stop_ - _'_

“I’m Kenny. I said you’re very pretty!” He winked, giving me a smile while showing his cute teeth. I'm at the level where I can think even teeth can look cute. ”Can I give you my number? You can put me under Booty Call.” I can handle one flirt, Clyde, but not two. This Kenny person seemed a little more on the pervy side. My weak heart can only take so much. I am not immune to the advances of men.

”I’m Stan.” The boy with the black hair stepped forward. His eyes were also a blue I could get lost in. I turned to look at the fourth boy. He was thick. He had a large build, making me assume he might be an athlete. His glare broke my thoughts.

”Great. A new kid and it’s some chick,” he grumbled looking away.

”That’s Eric Cartman but we call him Cartman.” Kyle sighed.

“Whatever Jew, we thought someone fun was going to be moving in, not some dumb girl,” he spat.

”Shut up Fatass!” Kyle shouted.

”You know it’s true! We wanted another dude to join our group as a fifth member but now our plans are ruined!”

”We don't even know her yet,” Stan spoke.

“Yeah, uh huh, like a girl could join our group. I’m sure she’s _so_ smart and funny,” Cartman sneered with sarcasm. “C’mon, tell us a joke Y/N.”

”Cartman-” Kyle began. I was starting to grow concerned. I worried if they were always like this or if they were fighting because of me. I wasn’t upset or anything. The stuff Cartman said was tame in comparison to what the teens back at my old school would say.

“Don’t scare the new girl,” Kenny chirped.

”Cartman?” I spoke and he raised an eyebrow at me. “Did you used to be CartmanBrah on YouTube?“ He looked shocked. “I used to watch some of your videos years ago! I remember you were huge at that time!” I didn’t have much to do back at my old home besides browse the web.

”That’s me! The one and only,” his previous look replaced with a huge smile. “You see that Kahl? I guess new kid isn’t so lame after all.”

”I never said that,” Kyle glared while Cartman gave him a smug look.

”Sorry, I told my parents I would be home by now.” I power walked to my door and turned to give them another wave before stepping inside.

After having dinner with my parents and cleaning up. I jumped into the only thing prepared in my room, my nice comfy bed. Today was fun but I’m exhausted. I didn’t think I would meet so many people my age so soon, especially many handsome boys all at once. I gave a silent thank you to the South Park guardian angel that must have blessed me and looked to my phone to find thirty plus notifications.

' _Did my favorite fanfic writers update all at once?_ '

I saw I had a bunch of new numbers in my messages saying hello from all the boys I met today, even the ones I met next to my house.

' _How did they get my number?_ '

**Clyde:** Hey Y/N. I miss you already!

 **Tweek:** Hi Y/N. You’re always welcome to hang out at our coffee place!

 **Token:** Hey Y/N, it was nice meeting you. See you around.

 **Craig:** [ _insert middle finger emote_ ] x2

 **Kyle:** Hello Y/N. This is Kyle. If you need anything, let me know.

My little bro Ike says hi.

 **Stan:** Hey Y/N. This is Stan. We should hang out sometimes. South Park isn’t so bad.

 **Cartman:** This is Cartman. I don’t care what Kyle says you’re pretty cool, you can hang with us if you want.

 **Jimmy:** This is Jimmy, hello.

I guess he's someone that I have yet to meet. I quickly added their contacts before clicking on the group chat.

**Group Chat Name: Welcome New Kid**

**Y/N’s BF (Clyde):** Hey Y/N!!! It’s me, Clyde! 

_'I can see your contact name next to the username dear Clyde.'_

**Y/N’s BF (Clyde):** I added all the bros to the chat even Team Stan’s group.

_'Team Stan?'_

Brooos...Y/N is super pretty and cute. 

_'H-hey you!'_

**Kofi (Tweek):** She’s nice.

 **T.B. (Token):** Clyde, man you're going to scare her off. She hasn’t even met them yet.

 **SpaceCowboy (Craig):** Since when were you Y/N’s bf?

 **Y/N’s BF (Clyde):** Since the moment I laid eyes on her. 

_'Stop, lover boy!'_

**StantheMan (Stan):** Y/N? Is that her number? 

_'Oh, so this is how everyone found got my number.'_

We met her a few minutes ago, she moved in next to Kyle. 

**Y/N's Bae (Kenny):** Clyde she’s not your gf! I call dibs, she's hot.

_'Not you too...'_

**Y/N’s BF (Clyde):** She’s mine. We held hands already.

 **T.B. (Token):** You mean the handshake?

 **Y/N's Bae (Kenny):** LMAO

 **Kofi (Tweek):** She’s going to start school with us on Monday.

 **Y/N's Neighbor (Kyle):** We might have some classes together Y/N.

_'Clyde started a weird username trend.'_

How are you getting to school? I can pick you up if you want.

 **StantheMan (Stan):** We usually go together with Kenny and Fatass.

 **JimJams (Jimmy):** Cool, hi Y/N. My name is Jimmy. Add my number, I’ll add yours too.

 **WhoIstheCOON (Cartman):** She’s my fan. She knows CARTMANBRAH, of course she's coming to skewl with us!

 **T.B. (Token):** No way.

 **StantheMan (Stan):** Are you doing anything tomorrow Y/N? We can show you around South Park.

 **Kofi (Tweek):** She’s busy tomorrow.

 **WhoIstheCOON (Cartman):** How do you know that?

 **Kofi (Tweek):** She told us she’s meeting someone tomorrow.

 **WhoIstheCOON (Cartman):** Hope it’s not one of those Bitches, they're going to corrupt her.

Everyone responded in agreement.

_'Should I respond?'_

The last message was over an hour ago and they might be asleep. It’s eleven o’clock, I don’t want to give them a notification this late at night, what if they get annoyed. Who am I kidding, it's Friday and these are teen boys we are talking about. They don’t sleep.

**Y/N's Y/N:** Hi everyone, my name is Y/N. It was nice meeting you all today. Can’t wait to meet you too Jimmy!

Sure Kyle, what time should I be ready on Monday?

  
  
Within seconds, I got responses from everyone saying hello with Kyle telling me when to meet them.

**Kofi (Tweek):** I thought we scared you away! ACK!

 **Y/N's Y/N:** I would never run away from you Tweek. 

' _Why would I run away from a cutie and hottie_?'

**Kofi (Tweek):** TOO MUCH PRESRUE!!!!!

I began spamming them with memes as they spammed me back. Here I was, texting while my inner soul floated to space. I have officially peaked. I’m in a group chat with eight hotties including a new friend. I can rest in peace now. This is the happiest I will ever be.

_'Bye world!'_

I drifted off to sleep.


	3. New Town

_'Where am I?'_

It took me a while to recognize my new surrounds.

' _Oh yeah, I moved to South Park, drank some bombass coffee, met a bunch of cuties, and now I have a new boyfriend named Clyde.'_

_'Just kidding.'_

Today, I meet up with my online friend. They were meeting me, here, at my house for brunch. We video chatted a couple of times and my parents have even walked in on me, only to be noisy and join in on our conversations. Yesterday, I dressed for convenience, but today, I wanted to look nice. After my shower, I put on some make up and dressed in a layered outfit with my favorite color beanie with thick leggings underneath my shorts. This was what I managed to gather, since I still haven't finished unpacking. I was too distracted by the group chat last night. After confirming my friend was coming soon, I unpacked and decorated my room a bit more before they arrived. The doorbell rang and I rushed down. Opening the door, I was greeted with a cute blond with a light scar across his left eye.

"Hi Y/N. It’s nice seeing you in person! It's me, Butters!" He nervously rubbed his knuckles together.

"Butters!" I shouted, hugging him. He stumbled back and giggled, returning the hug. "Finally! My first friend in South Park! Ah! I knew you would be cuter in person!" I sang to him. Butter blushed despite knowing me well. He knew how excited I could get and how I fangirl over anything I liked. We grew close over the past month, with him telling me about his strict parents and his school life. He knew about the hard time I had back at my old school. We knew each other's pain with how cruel his parents were to the unfortunate teen and how poorly the students treated me. We quickly became good friends, playing video games and sending comforting words to each other. It helped that I found him to be adorable, and despite being the same age as me, he seemed more innocent.

" **Butters**!" Both my parents appeared behind me. "It's nice to meet you, young man, please come in." My parents ushered us to the kitchen while they talked. Butters and I talked as if we knew each other for years. Afterwards, I showed him my room.

"Well...what do you think?" I bragged.

"Are you unpacking or leaving Y/N?" Butters laughed.

"I’m not done and it's messy, but please take a seat anywhere!" My heart pounded, since this was the first time I have ever invited a boy to my room, even if it was just Butters. My phone was blinking on my bed, indicating notifications. The boys were really active on chat.

Butters looked over my shoulder and pouted when he saw some of the names. "You met everyone, already?"

"Yep. I walked around a little yesterday after unloading and saw Tweek's cafe where I met some of the guys."

His shoulders slumped, "it feels like they beat me."

"No way. You're my bestie! Those hotties have nothing on you.”

"Hotties? Y/N!" He lightly pushed me while laughing, "fangirling already?"

"Are you jealous?" I laughed.

"What if they steal my little buddy?" He scoffed.

"Nope, it's not going to happen. I swear of all the Butters in all the world, this Butters is mine." I grabbed his hand.

"Whatever." He rolled his eyes and smiled while squeezing my hand.

Butters was going to give me a tour of the town, so I quickly grabbed a fluffy jacket, boots, and a long scarf. After saying bye to my parents, we began our journey to sightsee. He told me some stories about the insane things that happened to him and his friends.

_'How could all these unbelievable stories happen in such as small town?'_

I would have left because the police force sounded weak, but everything else sounded pretty fun. Apparently, they played fun games like a fantasy one where all the kids were involved and they fought over a stick. I wish I got to play with them.

He asked who I met and after telling him, he explained that I met Team Craig and Team Stan. The two groups didn't always mingle but got along half of the time. The boys were popular and had a knack with getting into trouble. I thought that was pretty funny but I didn't want to join a clique or a gang, even if it was just girls. A light bulb went off my head.

"Let's take a picture together!" I got out my phone and he tilted his head at my sudden demand, but leaned in for the picture. Our background was just a blanket of snow, but it made the color of our outfits pop. I tapped to take multiple pictures in a few angles until I was satisfied. I started snickering to myself as I opened the group chat while Butters watched.

**Group Chat:**

**Y/N's Y/N** : [ _picture_ ]

I met up with my Bestie! Team Butters FTW!

"Team Butters?" He giggled, shaking his head. Not even a minute passed by and my phone kept vibrating.

**WhoIstheCOON** (Cartman): Team Butters?! Are you kidding me, Y/N!

 **SpaceCowboy** (Craig): So Butters is the reason you're busy today?

 **Y/N's Bae** (Kenny): WOW! You're gorgeous.

Where are you? Let me hang too!

 **StantheMan** (Stan): Let's meet up, Y/N!

 **Y/N's Neighbor** (Kyle): Stan and I are hanging right now, we can meet you two.

 **Y/N’s BF** (Clyde): What?! I want to hang too! Tell Butters to pick up his phone! I'm coming with!

 **Kofi** (Tweek): You look really pretty today, Y/N GAH

Drop by the cafe today if you're nearby ACK

 **T.B.** (Token): I'm with Craig, Jimmy, and Clyde right now. Clyde is making a fuss smh.

 **JimJams** (Jimmy): I can see why the guys won't shut up about you.

 **SpaceCowboy** (Craig): Shut it.

I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks.

' _Are they usually like this_?'

Butters told me new kids are rare. I'm not super attractive or anything. It must be since I'm a fresh face.

**Y/N's Y/N** : TTYL He's showing me around town. We talked about this for a month. Ciao!

 **WhoIstheCOON** (Cartman): Wait, a month!?

I slid my phone into my pocket and I could see a smile on his face.

"Can you send me those pics too?"

We weren't planning to loiter anywhere in particular, so we just looked at everything from the outdoors. We saw the movie theater, town hall, and the mall where I saw a few girls leaving from afar. We grabbed a quick bite at a local Chinese food place, City Wok. The pronunciation of the owner made me concerned for the business like the 'shitty' fried rice, but it was delicious. Then we stopped by to see my new school and my heart started pounding. I wasn't sure if it was from excitement or anxiety, maybe both. Butters interrupted my thoughts and we continued walking.

I wasn't overloaded, since this town wasn't as big as the city, but we were still getting pretty exhausted. Butters led me to one last stop, before he had to head home or else his parents would ground him again for no reason. It was a place called Stark's pond. The scenery took me by surprise. The sun was hanging low so everything had a golden glow to it, even the snow. I looked at Butters with a happy expression that he mirrored and his hair seemed to glow in the light.

"Thanks for showing me everything, Butters! You’re the best tour guide."

"You're welcome, Buddy."

Afterwards he led me home and I overstuffed myself with dinner, while my parents informed me that they were having dinner with other parents from around town at a restaurant hosted by Kyle's parents. They recommended I spend time with my new friends and maybe order some pizza. I quickly cleaned up and changed, before sprawling myself all over the couch, while staring at the ceiling. In general, I don’t have a lot of energy. My favorite way to recharge was to lie down and do something comforting including, but not limited to, fangirling to whatever it was I liked, playing my favorite app game Phone Destroyer, reading fanfics, and more. I’m not completely introverted but I knew how to keep myself company, since I’ve been alone a lot. I opened my group chat and skimmed through what I missed. It looked like Kyle already told the guys about the dinner and wanted to see what everyone wanted to do for fun.

  
_**Y/N invited Butters.** _

_**Butters has entered the Group Chat.** _

**Y/N's Y/N** : Hey guys, my parents wanted me to invite my new friends over for pizza tomorrow night.

Want to hang at my place?

 **Y/N's Bae** (Kenny): Already on my way.

 **Y/N's Y/N** : OMG lol

 **Y/N’s BF** (Clyde): Sounds fun!

 **StantheMan** (Stan): I'm down.

 **Chaotic** (Butters): Hiya fellas! Oh geez. I have to ask my parents first.

 **WhoIstheCOON** (Cartman): Cool, free pizza.

Do you have double dew or cheesy poofs too?

 **Y/N's Bae** (Kenny): Fatty.

 **WhoIstheCOON** (Cartman): Whatever brokeass Kinny.

This will probably be your only meal for the week. 

**Y/N's Bae** (Kenny): Suck my dick.

 **SpaceCowboy** (Craig): What time should we come over?

 **Kofi** (Tweek): Yes! I’m not working tomorrow.

 **Y/N's Neighbor** (Kyle): Do you want us to bring anything? Like soda or chips? I’m bringing my lil bro, Ike.

Let me know if you need anything.

 **JimJams** (Jimmy): I’ll be there.

 **WhoIstheCOON** (Cartman): Wow Kahl simping much?

_'I noticed Cartman likes to rip on others. I kind of remembered back to his old Youtube persona where he was loud, obnoxious, and highly offensive, but I guess the guys are used to it.'_

**Y/N's Neighbor** (Kyle): Fuck off Asswad! 

_'....or not.'_

**WhoIstheCOON** (Cartman): Don’t call me an Asswad, you dirty stinkin Jew!

 **Y/N's Neighbor** (Kyle): Go to Hell, Dick!

 **Y/N's Bae** (Kenny): The only dick bigger than mines. 

' _This chat went from 0 to 100 real fast.'_

**T.B.** (Token): Shoot. Sorry can’t make it, got date night with Nichole.

 **WhoIstheCOON** (Cartman): Bros before Hoes man.

 **T.B.** (Token): Don’t call my girl a Hoe. Kiss my black ass.

 **WhoIstheCOON** (Cartman): No thanks. I’m not gay like Tweek and Craig. 

**Space Cowboy** (Craig): What the fick Cartman?!

[ m _iddle finger emote_ ] Stop being a little Bitch.

 **Kofi** (Tweek): ACK That was a long time ago, I’ll tell u about it later, Y/N! 

**Y/N's Y/N** : Okay Tweek.

Come anytime before 5.

Thanks Kyle, I don’t have any chips or sodas, so if u guys want to bring anything, be my guest! I can’t wait to meet Ike!

Have fun with your gf, Token!

 **Chaotic** (Butters): My parents said I could go!

 **Y/N's Y/N** : ✨ Team Butters ✨

 **Chaotic** (Butters): ✨ Team Butters ✨

 **WhoIstheCOON** (Cartman): Laaame.

 **Y/N’s BF** (Clyde): Can we be a team too?

 **Y/N's Y/N** : You can’t be a part of more than one team. That’s illegal.

 **Y/N’s BF** (Clyde): Y/N! Fine I guess I will just settle for being your bf...

 **Y/N's Bae** (Kenny): You rang?

 **Y/N’s BF** (Clyde): I was talking about me.

 **WhoIstheCOON** (Cartman): So how was your date with Butters? Probably lame.

 **Chaotic** (Butters): It wasn’t a date. We became friends online a month ago and said we’d hang out.

 **StantheMan** (Stan): Why didn’t you tell us about her?

 **Chaotic** (Butters): I did at lunch! You fellas weren’t listening.

 **Y/N's Bae** (Kenny): Butters got a head start.

 **Y/N's Y/N** : Today was fun! He showed me where everything was. Thanks again Bestie!

 **Y/N’s BF** (Clyde): Soo what kind of things do you like to do Y/N? 

_'What don't I like?'_

**Y/N's Bae** (Kenny): Besides me and memes of course.

 **Y/N's Y/N** : I like chilling and playing video games. I have the latest consoles. I like to watch movies umm...

I'm usually down for anything, really.

 **StantheMan** (Stan): Sweet. You're pretty cool Y/N.

 **WhoIstheCOON** (Cartman): Yeah, for a girl.

 **Y/N's Neighbor** (Kyle): S _igh._

 **Chaotic** (Butters): She likes to get her wig snatched by Queens that she sees on social media.

 **Y/N's Y/N** : Butters, nooo

 **Chaotic** (Butters): She cries over fanfics. She even drew a fanart for a cartoon she likes. 

She fangirls nonstop 24/7.

 **JimJams** (Jimmy): #Exposed

Thanks for the latest scoop.

_'Oh no. I remember Butters telling me he's the school's journalist and a comedian.'_

**Y/N's Y/N** : Can I still be one of the cool kids?

 **SpaceCowboy** (Craig): No lol

 **Kofi** (Tweek): You're cute Y/N. 

**Y/N’s BF** (Clyde): What about me, Tweek?

 **Y/N's Y/N** : You're the cutest Clydey.

 **Y/N’s BF** (Clyde): Clydey? Y/N!!! [ _heart emote_ ]

I was excited about inviting the boys over to get to know them tomorrow until I remembered the dump in my room. Sighing, I ran up stairs to finish making my room look more presentable for tomorrow night.


	4. New Names

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The two dad jokes are from Google.

As soon as I woke up, my parents whisked me away to go grocery shopping. They said there was a Whole Foods in town. A pricey store but whatever. I was too lazy to dress nice so I just threw on some sweatpants with an oversized jacket. When we got there, I wandered off on my own and saw a brown hair teen in a wheelchair.

”T-Timmy!” His smile was contagious.

”Hi!” 

”T-Timmy, Timmy?” 

“Yeah. I’m new here, My name is Y/N.” 

”Timmy, T-Timmy!”

"Whoa, you used to have your own transportation service? That's dope! I don't have much going on at the moment."

"Tiiimmmmayyy." He rolled away as I waved goodbye.

”See you on Monday, Timmy!” I have no idea how to explain that situation. It’s like he had telepathy or something. I understood everything he was trying to convey. He had a way with words too. This is South Park so I’m going to have to accept everything, I learned. I saw a bag of cheesy poofs and grabbed one for myself. Cartman brought these up last night, maybe that’s why I was craving them. I went to go look for my parents and that’s when I saw them.

Two queens grabbing some soft drinks. They were wearing a jersey that said CHEER with yoga pants and tennis shoes. They had gym bags strapped to their shoulders. They must be heading to exercise somewhere. One of the girls had a unique shade of red hair. The girl next to her had shoulder length brown hair, wearing a cute hat with a flower on it. These babes were my type. Actually, all cuties were my type.

 _'Exactly who isn't my type? Who am I talking to?'_ I asked myself.

Indeed, I developed this unusual habit of having a weird back and forth internal dialogue with myself that could get pretty intense. Sometimes, I lost debates against myself.

"Why hello ladies." I swooped in.

Actually that never happened.

That was in my head. I think Clyde and Kenny were rubbing off on me. I blamed them. I was actually just standing there, staring until they both noticed me. Welp, now I have to introduce myself.

"Hi. I'm Y/N. I just moved here." I walked up to them as the girls looked me up and down.

 _'Why didn't I wear something cuter?'_ I mentally beat myself up.

"Hi, my name is Red."

' _Is her hair red because her name is Red or is it the other way around?_ ' That's cool.

"I'm Heidi."

"Sorry for staring. I was stunned by how beautiful you two are." I said that out loud and not in my weird internal monologue thingy.

_'Why am I hitting on them?'_

Heidi faintly blushed and Red giggled.

“Your names suit you. I love your red hair and I love your cute hat.” I babbled.

"Thanks, actually we heard about you from our friend Nichole. She told us her boyfriend met a new girl and that some of the guys were already crushing hard," she checked me out again and I felt like I was going to explode due to embarrassment. "Now I see why."

"Oh! I heard about Nichole, her boyfriend must be Token! I think he was exaggerating, I'm not much."

The girls shook their head in disagreement to my statement.

Heidi looked at me with concern, "just be careful, some of the guys here can be a bit much.” Red hummed in agreement with Heidi nodding in agreement. "They get into a lot of trouble and start a lot of drama, only for them to act like nothing happened a week later."

"They give us girls a lot of headache. We have to stick together!" They both smiled at me and I felt like a normal girl for once in so long. I forgot what it was like to talk to girls my age without feeling scared or hurt. “There’s a reason why all those guys are single,” she waved her hand, dismissing them. Someone's phone went off and Red checked her smartphone. "The girls are already at the gym, we have to go, Heidi! Bye new girl!"

"It was nice meeting you, Y/N!" Heidi cheerfully waved goodbye as they rushed off to buy their drinks at the check out. I forgot to get their numbers. I wonder if they are the same grade as me _._

 _'South Park, where were you hiding these angels? God bless_.'

I reunited with my parents and we headed home. After lunch, I cleaned myself up and threw on an oversize sweater over a tank top and jeans. Then I put on some make up in anticipation of meeting the boys for dinner today. My room looked pretty good. I stayed up late unpacking and decorating my room with posters, merchandise, and plushies. I hope they don't think I'm childish. I hid the bag of cheesy poofs under my bed for safekeeping. A secret stash is necessary for those days I don't feel like going downstairs. I thought back to what the pretty girls said about my friends. They seemed fine despite the fact they liked to flirt and verbally fought a lot. I wondered if I should be a little cautious. My phone started ringing.

"Hello?" I answered.

" _Hey, it's Craig_."

My heart almost jumped out of my chest. His voice is so deep. "Hi Craig."

" _Can I drop by right now? I want to show you something_."

"O-oh! Okay, I don't mind. Do you need my address again?"

" _I know where Kyle lives, Dork_." He chuckled, " _be there in ten_." He hung up before I got to say bye. To be honest, I was swooning a little. Craig was kind of dreamy. I double checked my make up in the mirror and checked the time. It was still a few hours before five.

' _Does that mean I will be alone with just Craig_?'

I got nervous. It was a different kind of nervous from when Butters was here. I knew Butters but Craig and I only met once, even though we all chat nonstop in group chat. His responses are the shortest and most blunt. After informing my parents of my first visitor, I decided to wait outside since I couldn’t sit still. It snowed a bit last night so there was a fresh blanket of snow on the ground. I think snow is beautiful but eventually it’s going to be a pain to live with, or so I heard. I could see a faint blue approaching and I got excited. I started waving at his far away figure and he started to jog once he noticed. He was carrying something.

”Why are you waiting outside? It’s cold,” he huffed. 

“Oh my God! What is that?” I pointed to what was in his arms in excitement. “It’s so cute!” I squealed.

Craig smiled and started pushing me to my door. “Let’s go inside, my guinea pig is getting cold.”

”Ah! A guinea pig!” I opened my door and quickly led him up to my room. We passed by my parents walking down the stairs. “Mom, Dad, this is Craig!” My parents said hello while smiling at my excitement and he let out a deep hello. I ran to my room and squealed once he was inside. “Oh my God. Oh my God!” I bent to his pet’s cage level and giggled at the furry creature, while Craig turned his head to check out my room.

”I’ll bring him out.” Craig began sitting on my floor in the middle of my room and I copied him, trying to contain my excitement. He smirked at me and brought out his pet from it’s travel carryon. My eyes sparkled as he cradled the cutie in his hands. “His name is Stripe.”

”He’s so beautiful and so cute.” I cooed. I tried petting him a little with my fingers and Craig smiled at him. I couldn’t help but think his previous disinterested expression, replaced by this gentle one, was the best gap. Craig is cute.

Craig looked at me. “Do you want to hold him?” I nodded frantically and he smiled, showing me how to hold him.

”Ah, he’s so small and fluffy! I love his colors!” I began, “look at those eyes! So small! Oh my God! He’s looking right at me. I think he likes me. Aw! Look at his twitching nose, he’s so soft!” Craig started laughing. I haven’t seen him laugh before.

”Butters was right. He told us once you start fangirling, you don’t stop especially when it’s over something cute.” I blushed.

' _Butters, what exactly have you been telling the guys?'_ I failed to notice my fangirl mode activated.

“I wanted to test it out with my little guy,” he started petting Stripe who I carefully held in my hands and I started laughing.

“You’re cute too, Craig. I had no idea you have a soft spot for cute animals,” I blurted while poking Stripe’s little paws. “You’re my cute-loving comrade!” I exclaimed, not noticing I was still in fangirl mode which I usually hid. “His widdle paws...”

He looked at me in surprise, ”girls don’t usually call me cute.” 

“Huh? Why not? But you’re so cute?” I was genuinely confused.

”They usually say other things. Cute isn’t one of them.”

”But you’re really _really_ cute though.” I said in a serious tone. Craig lifted his eyebrow before looking away. I could have sworn I saw a red tint on his cheeks, but I didn’t have time to stare before Stripe started to shimmy out of my grip. Craig grabbed Stripe before he could run amok and slowly placed him back in his cage. I kept staring at the little guy, barely noticing a pair of eyes watching me as well. “Thanks for showing me your pet.” I smiled at him, “I was wondering why you were coming early. Not that I mind though but I was a little nervous.” I forgot about how nervous I thought I would be since I would be alone with the handsome guy. However, I forgot all about it when I saw Stripe. Maybe it was Craig’s way of being my friend. He was surprisingly considerate.

He tapped Stripe’s cage with his finger, “why were you nervous?”

”Why wouldn’t I be?”

”I don’t know, you tell me.” He told me blankly.

_'Was I being too self conscious?'_

”Umm...well, we only met once and I don’t have many friends in general.” Actually I don’t have any friends, besides the one I made at South Park, but only Butters knows that, “and you’re really good looking...” I kind of whispered that last part but it was clear he heard me when I saw his hand twitch.

”Come again?”

I hope he didn’t think I was flirting or something. I like to be as honest as possible when I’m put on the spot. It might be one of my greatest flaws. I glanced at the stoic blue eyed boy who had a satisfied smirk and I looked away embarrassed.

”Sorry, I didn’t mean to tease you so much, but you’re really easy to tease, do you know that?”

I wished he would stop making me blush more than I already am. I pouted, and as I was standing up, I took his blue hat as revenge. He gasped from the sneak attack, with his black hair spiking from the action, and tried to grab his hat back. I evaded his movement and ran out my door.

Then the door rang, ' _who could that be_?' I thought. I placed Craig’s hat on my head, still warm from his head, and ran downstairs to answer the door. I was face to face to my cute Ginger neighbor boy.

“Hey Y/N, sorry if we’re here too early.” His kid brother was next to him.

“Hi Kyle! You’re my neighbors, you’re always welcome to hang out with me! And you must be Ike!” The pair didn’t look similar but they were close. I wondered who Ike got his looks from. I remembered seeing his parents from my window earlier this morning. “You’re so cute...I wish I had a little brother.” I bent my knees a little to ruffle his hair as he smiled bashfully.

”Little bros are great except when they get in their rebellious stage,” Kyle added while smiling at him.

Ike gave him a light punch and looked up at me. “Hi Y/N.” I stepped aside so that they could come in. I could see Kyle holding a box of canned sodas.

”Aw, you didn’t have to bring anything. That’s so nice of you.”

He smiled warmly at me. ”What are neighbors for?”

”Make yourself at home. Craig is already here, he’s upstairs.”

”Craig’s here?” Kyle looked surprised, I wondered why. He glanced at my head and I lightly tugged at Craig's hat when I remembered I was still wearing it.

”Hey Kyle.” Craig was walking down the stairs. “Y/N, if you give me my hat back I would be _so_ happy,” he said in a monotone voice.

”No can do, finder's keepers.”

”You stole it.”

”I won it fair and square,” I bragged while he sighed. Kyle gave Craig a questioning look which Craig returned with a blank stare. I saw that Ike found my consoles and video games that I had set up downstairs so that everyone could play. “Ike, feel free to play with anything.” I called out to him which he nodded smiling.

”You have a lot of games,” Ike said tracing my stack of games with his fingers. “We don’t even have half of these, awesome!” I’m glad Ike is excited and not shy now that he found something he liked. I accumulated all these games from never having anything to do when I lived in the city. There was no friends to spend money on and no one to go out with anywhere and have fun. On the plus side, I had a good amount of savings from my parents being so generous, but I digress.

Craig and Kyle were next to me as we watched Ike play a few matches and then they played while Ike whipped out his phone to watch the same video game he was just playing. It was someone else streaming the game. Silly but I’m one to talk because I also watch gamers live stream. That’s why I kind of remembered CartmanBrah. I wasn't really watching the game though, since I was admiring Craig and Kyle. All the boys I met at South Park were taller than me and looked fit, despite me not being able to see their figures properly under their winter clothes. I'm totally checking them out. Kyle had a cute laugh and I liked seeing his pretty green eyes concentrating on the tv and how his green hat contrasted his red hair, that I could see from the back of his head. His hair looked really soft.

We didn’t notice time passing by so fast until my parents came down looking nicely dressed and well groomed. “All right Y/N, we left you our card to order the pizza. Order a lot since teen boys eat like animals,” my mom joked, grinning over at the boys.

"Make sure everyone leaves before ten since it is a school night. We don’t want Y/N to miss her first day,” my dad sternly said. Not even five minutes after my parents left, the doorbell rang and I opened it to Stan holding a bag of chips with a smile. I keep getting stunned by how handsome they are. These guys will be the death of me.

"Y/N! Am I too early?" He said walking in and nodded at the guys once he noticed them.

"Some are here. You brought chips!" I walked him to my kitchen, "you can place them on the table, I was just about to order the pizzas. By the way, what's the best pizza place here in South Park?"

"Well, we have Dominos and Pizza Hut, but everyone knows Shakey's Pizza." He took out his phone and pulled up the number, saving me some time.

"Here, you can use my phone to order." He flashed me another smile that blinded me. He waited while grabbing one of the drinks in the fridge that Kyle brought. After I ordered, I started looking around the kitchen to set up. “Do you need help?” Stan questioned while holding his open soda in one hand and other hand in his pocket.

“Uh, can you grab the paper plates and napkins from those grocery bags on the counter over there? We didn’t take them out yet.” He nodded and quietly started doing what I asked. "You can pour the chips you brought into that chip bowl nearby too. We can put it on the table in the living room." Stan nodded at me.

' _Stan, you’re boyfriend material, aren’t you_?'

I smiled, feeling happy for the help. I felt relaxed around Stan. He radiated comfort. He had nice black hair, like Craig's, but his was a little longer and less spiky.

Craig strolled into the kitchen, “Y/N, do you need anything?”

_'Oh, another helper!'_

”We’re good, Craig. Thanks.” I beamed. He nodded and left. Stan silently watched as Craig walked out the kitchen with a drink. The doorbell rang, indicating more arrivals but Kyle beat me to the door.

"Y/N! I'm here!" Clyde can be heard loudly announcing. I quickly went to greet him and saw he was with Tweek along with a a new face.

"Hi Clyde, hi Tweek! Hello!" I smiled at the three of them as Clyde went in for a big hug. I almost fell over from the sudden action and patted his back.

"Y/N, I missed you!" He feigned crying on my shoulders with his brown hair tickling my cheek.

"We talk all the time Clydey and it's only been a day," I laughed. Clyde smelled good and he gave a great hug, I noted. Tweek pulled him away, freeing me while Clyde whined. "Thanks Tweek!"

"ACK, thanks for inviting us, Y/N," he said energetically instead of anxiously. His cute blond hair was poking in every direction like a whole bunny, I swear. His shirt was poorly unbuttoned again which was probably due to his anxious nature. I turned to the unfamiliar face. The teen had arm braces and short brown hair. He effortlessly walked with them into my house.

"Hi Y/N, I'm J-Jimmy aka the f-f-funniest person here," he showed me his teeth, flashing me a cute smile.

"I thought that was me." I challenged with a grin.

"We'll see about that. I b-b-b-bought some shoes from a d-d-drug dealer. I don't know what he laced them with but I was tripping b-b-b-balls all d-d-day!" I laughed at his dramatic smile and joke. "Wow, what a great audience."

"Okay, okay, but have you heard this? What do you call someone with no body and no nose?" I giggled in anticipation, "nobody knows!" I started laughing and clapping at my own joke. Jimmy seemed to chuckle at how funny I thought I was, but was too much of a gentleman to say anything. We heard a knock on the door and Cartman came barging in without waiting for anyone to welcome him. Kenny was right behind him, in his signature orange parka and his sparkly blue eyes. He waved at us from behind Cartman who only huffed at us once he saw all of us already gathered and looked around.

"Bunch of simps...Y/N, where's the grub?"

Kyle shook his head in disappointment at his friend.

"Hi Kenny! Hey Cartmanbruh! The pizza should be here soon. Kyle brought some soda in the fridge and there's chips on the table from Stan."

"Siiimps," he elongated, taking a plate for the chips.

"No, they're just being good friends," I said, placing my hands on my waist.

"Is that why you're wearing Craig's hat?" He said, munching on the chips. I totally forgot I was wearing Craig's hat the entire time.

_'Why didn't he say anything?'_

The boys looked from the television to my head and I could feel my cheeks burning. "I found this hat, finder's keepers," I fumbled playing with the hem of it. I glanced over at Craig who made eye contact with me.

"Where did you find it?" Cartman mumbled with his mouth full.

"On Craig's head." I blushed. Ike wasn't bothered by the hat situation, but the others kept glancing from me to Craig with his expression unchanging.

Clyde cleared his throat, stepping next to me, “Y/N, do you want to wear my jacket?”

' _Huh_?' I looked at him in confusion.

"Is it just me or are you cold?" He questioned, unzipping his jersey jacket. "You look like you need my jacket more than me.”

"Mmmmph mmmph." Kenny started unzipping his orange parka showing his pretty blond hair. "You would look better in my clothes, Y/N." I looked at them, confused and still blushing, not comprehending the weird situation.

' _Do they think I like to steal peoples' clothes_?'

"Actually, you would look good in anything, even with nothing on." He wiggled his eyebrows.

I passed out.

Actually I didn't, but I might as well have. I'm not used to receiving so much attention, and on top of that, flirting from cute guys. My soul fainted. The doorbell ringing saved me.

"Butters!" I cried, hugging him.

"Whoa there little Buddy, am I late?" He looked up seeing everyone was already there. I shook my head.

"The guys are being weird." I whispered in an exaggeratingly loud way.

He looked to the living room. “What did they do?"

"Flirt or something!" I accused, squinting my eyes at them. “As I thought, Team Butters is the best!” He agreed, laughing as we went inside. A second later, the doorbell rang again.

 _'Wasn't that everyone_?' I opened the door to the pizza delivery man. ' _Oh yeah_.'

Tweek and Kyle came up next to me, to help carry the boxes of pizza, as I tipped the man. "It smells delicious!" I sang, following the boys to the kitchen with the boxes of pizza, completely forgetting about the situation from earlier.

"It's about time!" Cartman smiled, rubbing his palms together. To be honest, Cartman and food was a whole mood.

"Ike, don't you want pizza?" Kyle called to his brother who was still glued to the stream on his phone. We gathered around the table, grabbing a plate with a few slices of pizza. I ordered different kinds to satisfy different tastes. I could hear Kenny's stomach loudly growling while standing next to him. I giggled while he scratched his head. I sat in between Stan and Tweek who sat next to Butters. Cartman, Kenny, Kyle and Craig sat at the opposite side while Jimmy and Ike sat at the table ends. I listened to each boy as they chatted about the games I had and about the pizza.

Jimmy told me that he preferred being called 'handicapable' rather than disabled and that the Principal at our high school was super PC. Cartman told me the counselor had a head like a balloon which I couldn't imagine. Tweek finally told me about his and Craig's yaoi art situation where the Asian girls shipped them together and drew fanart of them. Apparently, it made everyone happy that they were gay so they went with the flow sometime until the end of middle school. I understood the power of fangirls. I am one after all. After he told me his story, I reached over his shirt to fix his buttons for him as he made flustered noises.

"Sit still." I muttered and he gave a quick thanks when I was done.

"Y/N..." Stan said, interrupting us. "You have pizza sauce on your sweater.” His eyes pointed to where I dropped some marinara sauce on my stomach. My sloppiness was embarrassing. He reached over, and instead of handing me the napkin in his hand, he used it to gently wipe my sweater leaving just a small stain.

"Thanks...You didn't have to do that." I blushed with my head down, wondering if this was how Tweek felt with me fixing his shirt. He smirked at me and continued eating while watching me at the corner of his eye. The boys frowned a bit from the interaction, except for Jimmy who was happily devouring his pizza, and Butters and Ike who were chatting about the latest video game streamer. Thinking of a distraction or a new change of topic, I remembered the new people I met today. "Oh yeah, I met this nice guy named Timmy at Whole Foods and I saw two really pretty chicks, Red and Heidi! Are they in our grades?" The boys gave a resounding yes.

Kyle spoke first, "Timmy has been our friend since elementary school along with all of us. Red and Heidi are part of the cheer team, with other girls like Token's girlfriend, Bebe, and Wendy whom everyone knows." I nodded to the new names while drinking my soda.

"Some of the guys here used to date some of them," Jimmy kindly informed me. Stan, Clyde, and Cartman seemed to stiffen a bit when Jimmy mentioned it.

"Whatever. They are all Bitches anyways. Don't talk to them Y/N," Cartman spat.

"You're just saying that because you used to date Heidi," Kyle said while Cartman furrowed his eyebrows at him.

 _'Wow, how did Cartman get Heidi?'_ I faintly started recalling their warnings about the boys.

"At least I’m not desperate for them like Clyde does, he dated stupid Bebe," Cartman threw him under the bus while Clyde attempted to open his mouth to speak as he looked at me, “he still chases after her, even though she just used him for shoes." He turned his head to send a judging look to Clyde.

"Hey, I'm not desperate! That's Kenny! He would do anything and anyone!" Clyde declared while Kenny just shrugged, not caring enough to deny it.

”Say what you will, but even I wouldn’t touch Wendy Testaburger. She’s nuts!“ Kenny said while looking at Stan.

Craig spoke up, "Wendy is Stan's ex," and Stan gave him a slightly betrayed look.

"We were on and off." Stan explained, "we fought a lot. Anyways, she left me for some guy from North Park High. We weren't good for each other anyways." I didn't expect them to air out each others' dirty laundry. I could tell he didn't want to talk about his former relationship so I changed the subject.

"North Park High? Is there a North Park like South Park? Are they like our enemies, could I find an alter ego of ourselves over there, like a doppelganger?" I started fantasizing about a place like here but different. That seemed to break the slightly thickening atmosphere from earlier as we joked about the possibility of another version of all of us but in North Park. Apparently, North Park was where the wealthier people were at and they questioned why Token didn't live there. According to them, his family was the richest family in town. I ate til I could eat no more and the boys seemed satisfied as well.


	5. New Dance

[Pizza Song](http://www.youtube.com/embed/tvUMCOWrTgA)

Everyone began cleaning up after themselves except for Cartman. He lazily threw his paper plate on top of Kyle's to throw out, with Kyle looking disappointed, but not surprised. I started humming my favorite pizza song, “Pizza” by Oohyo, as I washed my hands. I looked at Butters beside me at the sink with a playful sparkle in my eye.

“ _Pizza sucks without you. It’s not a question of appetite_ ,” I sang quietly to him.

“ _Pizza sucks without you. Anyways_ ,” he sang back. We share songs that we like to each other. We managed to sing karaoke together by following the lyrics online. Those were the long distance days.

" _That I want you, I want you back_." I bobbed my head left and right.

" _Cause I want you, I want you bad_.” Butters imitated my moves.

" _Pizza sucks without chuuu. Everyday is a bore without chuuuu_." I sang a bit louder. Butters whipped out his phone to play the song as I giggled next to him. He blasted the song from his phone and we sang along in perfect synchronization. Team Butters was lost in our own world, singing together and not minding the stares the others were giving. We began dancing with the beat whether we had rhythm or not.

"I hate you two so much right now." Cartman shook his head at us. The rest of the guys were smiling at our dorkiness. The song was easy to follow and soon Clyde and Kenny joined in. Their goofy dance made me crack up and earned a groan from Cartman. Butters got really into the song and started jamming out. I managed to point at each person there, especially Cartman, when singing the lyrics. Stan, Craig, Tweek, and Kyle had smiles on their faces, while Jimmy started taking pictures and videos with his phone. Ike had long ago stealthily escaped the embarrassing elders.

After our escapade, I waddled to my Bestie slightly out of breathe.“Butters...I thought of a new name for our team... Team BunBun!”

”Team BunBun?” He leaned back.

”If we’re going to be Team Cute, might as well match it,” I laughed.

”When did you two become Team Cute?” Clyde questioned next to me.

"Butters is a bunny, like Tweek, and I love cute. Why wouldn't we be Team Cute?" I proclaimed in satisfaction. Tweek perked at the mention of his name.

"It's not because you're cute too? You're the cutest girl I met." Clyde grinned at me with the guys nodding in agreement. I shyly waved my hand, dismissively.

"No. No. No. I'm not cute. I just like everything that's cute. I wish I was cute though." I spoke with a wishful tone. The boys frowned a bit at my self depreciation.

We headed back to the living room to resume gaming. Some of the guys sat on the floor despite there being enough room with two couches. I showed no mercy on the boys in the fighting game while smack talking the whole time. They were pleasantly surprised that they didn't have to let me win out of politeness and we all played while shit talking one another. The house was loud with cheers. Cartman, Jimmy, and Ike sat on one couch, while I sat in on the other with Kyle, me, Kenny, and Stan in that order. Craig, Clyde, and Butters were relaxing on the floor. Kenny was sitting on my side again and I made a conscious effort not to get self conscious when he was close enough for our arms to touch. I felt I was now one of them.

"Ken Ken.” He smiled at his new nickname, turning to me, "do you want to take the rest of the pizza boxes home? I ordered too much. My family won't finish it so it'll go to waste.” He tried to read my expression before nodding yes with a smile. To be honest, from what I gathered from the group chat and the memes, the context clues pointed to Kenny's family being in a bad financial situation. I double checked in private messages with Butters, and he confirmed his family was struggling. I didn't want him to think I felt sorry for him, but I knew I couldn't sleep at night knowing one of my dear friends was going to bed hungry. I purposely ordered more than all the boys could eat. I'm sure they probably thought I really did think they would eat like animals, given my mom warned me about that.

Clyde somehow managed to squeeze himself between me and Kyle, while we were distracted by the game. Kyle mumbled in disbelief. Kenny threw his arm around me when he saw Clyde get too close and Clyde responded by doing the same.

"Do you two need more space? I can move." I offered. I guess they are naturally physical. Stan told the guys to knock it off and pulled off Kenny with Kyle did the same to Clyde. I felt euphoric at how comfortable I was with all of them, "I'm happy you're all my friends." I confessed to everyone while staring at the screen. Butters turned to give me a knowing smile and I smiled back.

After some time, poor Butters sighed with disappointment as he had to get ready to leave or else he'd get grounded. It was almost nine o'clock. Time passes by fast when you're having fun. The other guys took it as a signal to get ready to leave too since it was a Sunday, but not before Clyde announced he wanted to check out his girl's room before he left. After we said bye to Butters, I invited them to see my room, except for Jimmy and Ike who were still playing another match. I was a little nervous about what they might think of my room. Craig already saw it but he didn't say anything about it. Kenny mumbled something with Stan telling him not to go through my drawers and I shot Kenny a warning look. He put his hands up as we walked up the stairs.

"Oh yeah, Stripe is still in my room!" I said, happily leading the boys.

"Craig brought Stripe?" Tweek asked, checking Craig.

"Yeah, he came here early to show me his fur baby. He’s so cute! I might keep him."

"You wish," Craig smirked.

"Here's my room!" I opened the door as the boys trickled in. Thankfully, my room was spacious. It’s one of the perks of being an only child.

I stopped Craig in the hallway. "Oh, here's your hat Craig!" I stood on my tippy toes to give him back his hat. He focused on my face while I leaned in to do so. "Thanks for letting me borrow it,” I smiled.

"You looked good in it," He whispered so that only I could hear. He headed over to pick up Stripe's cage as I blushed, not reading too deeply into it.

"You like pets, Y/N? My dog is really old but he still acts like a puppy sometimes and he's gay." Stan told me. 

"He's gay? Yes, I want to meet him! I love animals. Dogs are so fluffy and friendly." I smiled at him, running my fingers through my hair to fix it.

"So this is where the magic happens.” Kenny sat on my bed. Clyde made himself at home, jumping on my bed and hugging my pillows.

"Don’t tease me."

"D-don't say weird stuff around Y/N. Your room is nice, a pretty girl's room...TOO MUCH PRESSURE!” Tweek pulled slightly at his hair and winced. I pat his back as thanks while he poked my plushies. I ignored that he called me pretty. Tweek is just being nice.

"Do you think my room looks childish?" I looked at my plushies, waiting for him to answer.

"No, it's so you,” he said, picking one up and I smiled.

"Y/N...you could see my room from here!" Kyle pointed out my window. I paced over to look out as he pointed to the window across my room.

"Oh! That's your room? That's so funny, now I can spy at you.” I teased as he rubbed his neck.

"Now I'm going to have to make sure I close the curtains," he said chuckling.

"Y/N!" Cartman dramatically shouted while looking under my bed.

_‘Why are you looking under my bed?’_

All the guys looked at him as he reached in to grab something and pulled out my hidden bag of Cheesy poofs.

"Cartman!" I shouted.

"Ahah! I knew you were keeping secrets, Y/N. You thought you could hide your cheesy poofs from me! I knew I sensed it."

I tried to grab them but he hid them behind his back.

"Bring these to school tomorrow, you need to share them," he smirked.

"Okay, I promise.”

He nodded, handing them back to me. To be honest, I thought he was going to devour them right then and there. I was looking forward to these. After they checked out my computer gaming set, they headed downstairs to go back home. Kenny grabbed the boxes of pizza I gave him, Craig took my pet Stripe away, Kyle guided Ike out and reminded me he was picking me up tomorrow, Stan told me he would bring his dog next time, Cartman shouted not to forget the cheesy poofs, Jimmy left with a joke, and Tweek told me he would bring me some coffee tomorrow as thanks for the pizza.

I felt my heart tighten a bit after they all left. It was so fun when they were here. That was the first time in so long where I hung out with people that enjoyed being with me and it was in my own home. My house felt empty and quiet. I cleaned up the house a bit and washed up before heading to bed. It was hard to sleep after everything that happened. I was nervous about tomorrow.

 _‘What kind of school life was I going to have from now on_?’

I went on group chat to thank everyone for coming and wished them good night before they could respond. I hugged my phone to my chest. My face hurt from smiling so much. So many feelings and thoughts clouded my mind, and before I knew it, I was asleep.


	6. New Transfer

My phone alarm interrupted my dreams. I set it up even earlier than I normally would have, so that I could start my day off on a good foot. My nerves made me instantly wide awake. I kept changing my outfit and double checking I had everything. I even made sure I remembered the cheesy poofs for lunch. In the end, I settled for my favorite scarf, patterned sweater, fingerless gloves, black jeans, and ankle high winter boots and did my makeup.

’ _Yes, I'm ready and it's only..._ ,’ I peeked at my phone, ‘ _forty minutes until Kyle comes to pick me up!’_ I should've slept in a little more ,since now I know I'm going to regret it.

I decided to eat a light breakfast due to my nerves, and made Kenny and myself some lunch. I really like sharing, and just in case Kenny didn't have anything to eat, I was ready. I decided to wait outside. It was cold, real cold. There was snow everywhere. I decided to decorate the front of my lawn with a snowman.

"Y/N!"

I looked up to see Kyle in an orange jacket with his green hat in all his glory.

"What are you doing outside so earlier, it's freezing." He said, walking across his front yard to me.

"I was too nervous to stay inside," I fidgeted. I put the finishing touches on my knee high snowman, looking in triumph. Kyle looked at my hands changing color due to the cold.

"Here," he offered both his hands to pull me up and didn’t let go. “Your hands are cold,” he rubbed both my hands with his. I gripped them tighter, seeking the warmth. "Let's go,” he let go of my hands, making them miss the warmth. He walked off with me following.

”Thanks for picking me up Kyle, now we’re both going to be too early at the bus stop.” I said, catching up to his side.

"It doesn’t hurt to be early," he assured me, “I get you’re nervous for your first day of school. Did you get any sleep?”

”I slept enough but I was too nervous, what about you?”

”I slept okay but wish I could have slept more. I saw you waiting outside by chance so I rushed to get ready." We made it to the bus stop.

“You didn’t have to rush,” I said feeling guilty. I watched as a white cloud escape my lips.

"The cold can either wake us up for school or put us in hibernation. Either way, I'm not opposed," he joked. “Don’t worry about it." We looked down the road. It was quiet but a comfortable kind of quiet. Just Kyle, me, and the snow.

I wanted to make small talk, since I wanted to get to know my new friends better. ”Kyle, you’re Jewish, right?” I asked despite already knowing the answer. I thought about my next words carefully “What’s it like?”

He took a few seconds before answering. “Besides Fatass ripping on me every second of everyday, it’s like how it is for everyone else. It’s a way of life besides my religion. I don’t do all of the same things as everyone else, like celebrate Christmas, but it doesn’t upset me.” I nodded, appreciating his oversimplified answer for my sake. “If you’re ever curious to hear more, my mom would be happy to tell you,” he invited.

”Sure,” I accepted while smiling. “I wish Cartman wouldn’t say such anti-semitic things to you. He can be too much sometimes. To be honest, I like seeing you yell at him." He quirked his eyebrow at that, “though, sometimes I think he likes it too, the attention and your reactions.”

”No one has ever told me they liked seeing me yell at him before,” he said thoughtfully. “Sometimes I feel ridiculous, being the only one to call him out like I shouldn't lose my temper,” he said, repositioning his hat.

"It’s good to be mad for the right reasons. If you ever get too tired at yelling him, I’ll try to take over for you.” I remarked.

”Okay,” he said looking into my eyes. We stayed quiet for a good few minutes before he told me he would help me get my schedule and show me my locker today. He offered to make copies of his notes for any class I needed help in and I thanked him.

”Kyle, you’re the best neighbor. I’m so lucky to be living next to you. Seriously.” I told him in earnest.

”I’m lucky too."

I elbowed him lightly, “if you mean you’re lucky to have a weirdo for a new neighbor then I agree. Heh.”

”No, I mean I’m lucky my new neighbor is a nice and pretty girl like you. All the guys have fun with you and you’re such a dork,” he said as we both started blushing. “You’re pretty awesome.”

“Thanks, you too.” I smiled, not knowing what to say. He thought so nice of me. “You only say that now because you don’t know me a hundred percent yet.”

”True,” he laughed, “you might end up even cooler than we thought.”

_’I would like to thank the Jewish God, whomever that might be since I don't know, for bringing Kyle into my life. Bless. Truly a gift from above.’_

“What are you doing?” He asked, breaking me from my thoughts. I had both my palms in a prayer position.

“I was thanking your deity for blessing you into my life,” I told him frankly. Kyle’s face went dark red. I wonder if what I said was stupid.

”Hey Kyle, hi Y/N.” Stan walked up to stand next to us. Cartman and Kenny weren’t too far behind. “Ready for your first day?”

”Hi Stan! No, can I go back home?”

He chuckled at me pretending to leave.

“So Y/N is going to be at our bus stop every morning from now on? _Great_.” Cartman said sarcastically.

”Mmmph mmphmhp”. I could tell he meant 'morning beautiful' and I smiled at him.

”Hi Ken Ken!" I high fived him. "Nice to see you too Bruh,” I said, facing Cartman.

I looked at all four boys as they chatted and covered my eyes. ”What are doing Y/N?” I heard Stan say. I can’t tell him that it’s too early to be looking at so many attractive guys in one place, even Cartman wasn’t bad looking when he shut his mouth, of course.

”I’m blinded by how good looking you all are. It’s unfair. Are all South Park teens this good looking? I don’t think I’m going to survive school.” I mumbled loud enough for them to hear.

”Mhmph mmmph."

“He said 'it’s just us that are this sexy',” Stan translated.

Cartman spoke up, "are you really that thirsty? I know I’m irresistible but c’mon.” I could hear his smugness.

”No. I just, I really appreciate art, and that includes attractive men.” I said with my eyes closed and a hand over my heart.

The bus rolled up, saving them from my strange behavior, but they looked flattered. “Is it too late to run?” I whispered. earning their chuckle. Kyle and Stan sat next to each other while Kenny and Cartman sat together. I felt a second of feeling left out until I recognized the blond hair in the middle of the bus. “Bunbun!” I practically threw myself into the seat next to Butters.

”Golly Y/N! You sure are excited!”

”No, I’m just happy to see you. I don’t want to go to school.” I whined. I saw some of the other teens glancing back at me, probably curious about the new face. I don't like receiving attention from too many strangers, so I took out some earphones and put one earbud into Butters' ear, which he casually accepted, to play some tunes.

At my old school, I either walked or my parents drove when they weren’t working. Out of all of us, only a few students, like Token, could afford to drive his own car at our age, instead of borrowing a car from their parents. I read from the group chat that Token would drive Craig, Tweek, Clyde, and sometimes Jimmy, to school. Team Craig perks must be nice. Once we arrived at school, I could feel my heart beat faster. Butters pat my shoulder in reassurance.

“You’ll be fine little Buddy.”

Once off the bus, Kyle led me to get my schedule from the principal, while the guys followed. I kept looking around at the new environment while Kenny made sure I didn’t bump into any students. I noticed he was very protective. Once I walked inside, PC Principal gave me the rundown on everything ranging from micro aggression to privilege. He was exactly as everyone described him. The school counselor Mr. Mackey introduced himself and I couldn't believe my eyes. His head really is like a balloon.

I left the office and showed the guys waiting my schedule. Looks like I shared most of my classes with Team Craig, Butters, and Team Stan. I gushed from happiness with Butters telling me to calm down. Apparently, it was too early for this. They showed me where my locker was and Token happened to be nearby, speaking closely to a girl until he noticed us. “Hey Team Stan, hey Team Butters." he smiled.

”Hi Token! It’s Team Bunbun now,” I corrected him, taking a peek at the teen next to him. She was beautiful with her dark brown eyes and hair that poofed like a fluffy cloud.

”Y/N, this is Nichole, my girlfriend,” he introduced, “Nichole, this is the new girl I told you about.” Nichole looked excited to meet me and grabbed both of my hands to pull me closer.

”Nice to meet you, Y/N. If you need anything let me know. I used to be the new kid too at one point,” she flashed me a beautiful bright smile. I’m blind. This queen already snatched my wig.

”You too.”

' _Wait, why did I say 'you too'? Now she’s going to think I’m dumb_ ,' I mentally smacked myself.

“I mean, thank you."

' _Why does my tongue get tied when I see pretty girls? Am I shallow? No, it’s simply my fangirl heart quacking_.'

"Token, you didn't tell me your girlfriend was so pretty," I whispered to him behind my hand.

”You seem nice Y/N, I hope we have a class together." She clearly heard me, "I have to check on the girls, see you next class Token.” She waved goodbye. The South Park God of luck is really shining their rays upon me. I could see Craig, Tweek, and Clyde chatting down the hall. They called me over and I ran to them, leaving Team Stan and Butters behind.They're fine as ever. Clyde dramatically hugged me, once I was close enough, but Craig saved me by pulling him off with one hand.

“Clydey! Good morning guys.”

Craig flipped me off like when we first met and I did the same. I don’t know why but I never got the feeling he meant it in a malicious way.

”Good m-morning Y/N. I have a surprise for you.” Tweek handed me a thermostat, “it’s the same coffee you ordered when you first came to my coffee shop."

”Oh my gosh!” I hugged him hard, well, more like tackled. “You saved me Tweek! I didn’t get enough sleep,” I continued, hugging him even noticing he smelled like coffee. He smells so good.

“U-um you’re welcome. You can let g-go now, ACK!”

I let go and hugged the thermostat to my chest with the biggest smile. “You’re the best Tweek”. The other guys caught up to us and we began making our way to our first class together, while I sipped the caffeine goodness. I noticed my interactions with the boys were earning whispers, but brushed it off, thinking it might have been my imagination.

When we got to class, the guys scattered and I stood around, not knowing where to sit. I didn't know if it was assigned seating or already claimed. Stan noticed and told me to sit by him so I hesitantly made myself comfortable. The others got up to sit near me too. Soon, the other students filled in the rest of the seats. I was too nervous to look at anyone so I fiddled with my gloves and only spoke to the boys. The teacher walked in, taking notice of me and calmed everyone down.

"Hello there Miss, can you come up here?" The teacher smiled at me, "everyone, we have a new transfer student here today. It's late into the semester so I expect you all to assist your classmate, if necessary. Quiet everyone. Can you introduce yourself?" I was a little shy so I looked at everything except the students.

"Um my name is (full name). I'm from (City). I moved here only a few days ago." I said, robotically. The class was making a small ruckus from seeing a new kid transfer in this late into the semester. I glanced around the room, smiling at some of the familiar faces including Timmy who I met at the Whole Foods Market.

"Great, you may take a seat Miss Y/N."

I heaved a light sigh once I went to my seat. Class was surprisingly fun. My friends always had something funny to say. I noticed Kyle paid a lot of attention in class and diligently took notes. He must be smart as he answered perfectly whenever the teacher called on him. My parents had a number one rule which was to maintain my good grades and not fail any classes, so I believed I should fulfill at least that expectation. I knew what I had to prepare for before transferring, thanks to Butters and the school helping the transition.

When the bell rang, I quickly went over to Timmy to exchange greetings, before the guys went to show me where my next class was while on the way to theirs. Kyle told me they would pick me up after class since it'll be lunch.

I wanted to be acquainted with everyone, so I greeted the students around me and exchanged names. The quiet teen next to me had an interesting name, Dovahkiin. On the other side, a cute Asian girl was focused while doodling in her notebook. Somehow the characters looked familiar and I couldn't remember if it was from an Anime I've seen. Her art was amazing. There were a group of attractive Goth teens in one corner. The girl with dark makeup, black nails, a black dress, and shiny black hair wowed me. A boy, sitting next to her, had nice black curls and piercings. A brooding black hair boy, styled with red, flipped his bangs out of his eye and caught me looking at them, so I looked away. They seemed so cool, fashionable, and aesthetic. I loved their aura which was very dark and knew not to be confused with Emos. I like checking out stylish people. Fashion is an art and I'm the biggest visual consumer.

I watched as more students came in and was surprised to see my South Park angels, Heidi and Red. They were as stunning as the day I met them. Their clothes, their eyes, and their everything made my eyes sparkle. I noticed they were talking to two other babes. A girl with blond curls and an attractive laugh with a large che-

' _Where am I looking?_ ' I scolded myself.

There was a stunning girl with long black hair under a cute purple hat. I wanted to be their friends. My angels noticed me, prompting the other two to look at me. My breathe got caught in my throat.

"Isn't that Y/N?" Red said to Heidi. They smiled upon confirming it with one another and said something to the other two, before approaching me.

" **Hi Y/N** ," said both girls.

"I remember you two," I smiled. The girl with blond curls and a big _heart_ joined our reunion. I reminded myself to keep my thoughts pure.

"Y/N! My name is Bebe! We heard the students talking about you today. They said a girl moved her. We should hang out," she took out her phone. "Let's share numbers! Do you have a Coonstagram account?" Before I could ask what that was, the black hair girl spoke.

"Hello Y/N. I'm Wendy Testaburger, it's nice to meet you. I'm Student Council President so if you need anything, I'm your girl," she smiled at me.

_'Wow, beautiful, smart, and nice. Can she be my friend?'_

"Nice to meet you! What is _Coonstagram_?"

"It's South Park social media app, everyone here uses it. Actually, we saw some pics of you already from Jimmy's page," Bebe laughed.

' _They saw what now_? _How much did they see_?'

"Oh! I'll download it." We exchanged numbers and they rushed off to find seats as they were the last ones still standing, when the teacher walked in. After my introduction, I sat back down to see my phone with a text from each girl saying hello. I didn't like to look at my phone during class ,but I also wanted to talk to my new friends, so I carefully hid my phone.

As I talked to them, I remembered these were the girls the boys talked about while eating pizza. Bebe, Wendy, and Heidi were their ex girlfriends. It made me uncomfortable remembering what the boys said, but the girls were friendly so I brushed it off. Bebe sent me a text asking why I was wearing Craig's hat in the picture from Jimmy's photos. I forgot about that. Explaining I stole it and forgot to return it, she changed the subject asking who I knew and hung out with. I told her and didn't get a text back for the remainder of the class.

When the bell rang, I waited in my seat since the boys said they would pick me up. I looked for the girls and they were near each other in conversation.

"Y/N!" It was Stan, "let's go!" I felt like I was being watched as I got up and rushed out the door. It's nice being picked up. I couldn't wait for lunch. They led me to the lunchroom where we could see the others already at a table waving at us. I sat next to Kenny and the others sat next to us after grabbing their food.

After confirming Kenny didn't have a lunch, I pulled out one for him. "Surprise!" His expressive eyes widened. It's cute when he puts his hoodie on but he's hot when it's down. The switch is nice. He looked at the food and at me, before grabbing it.

"Mphh mmmph," he thanked me and I nodded.

"Y/N, give me the cheesy poofs!" Cartman said and I grabbed the bag and chucked it across the table to him.

"You have to share. It's for everybody." I laughed but Cartman smirked at me with an mischievous glint. "You better or I'm not going to share with you again!" His smirk vanished.

"Give me some," Kyle reached over and Cartman smacked his hand away.

"Hands off Jew."

"Cartman. Be nice to Kyle or so help me," I warned with Kyle smirking at him with his hand out. Cartman threw a bunch of chips on his tray and handed it to him.

"Thanks for the coffee, Tweekie!" I handed the thermostat back to him.

"You're welcome Y/N."

"Don't fall for someone else besides me!" Clyde pouted at me from next to him.

"Too late," I smiled at the blushing Tweek.

"Y/N!" Clyde started tearing up. 

' _Was he really going to cry_?'

"I was just teasing Clydey!" I blurted as Token laughed at his crybaby friend.

It's been so long since I ate lunch with friends. We talked about my classes and I told them who I met. The boys frowned when I mentioned some of the names, but we continued talking about last night, dysfunctional teachers, and so on. I asked them about Coonstagram and the table was happy to friend me on the social media app. Jimmy dropped by and joined us. Our table was so noisy and I couldn't help but love every bit of it.

Stan asked me while I ate, "do you know about the Coon and friends or Freedom Pals?"

"It sounds familiar, I think Butters mentioned it to me before. Is it a comic book?" I asked while looking at Butters.

"There's a lot of crime in South Park and the superheroes, Coon and friends, are there to stop it." Cartman told me dramatically.

"Mmmph mph," Kenny added.

"Freedom pals too," Tweek added. Token began listing all the names and my eyebrows raised at the mention of Super Craig and Wonder Tweek. Tweek flinched and Craig looked at me expressionless. South Park wasn't just crazy and wild, it was also dangerous.

"Don't stay out too late at night or wander around places alone." Kyle warned me.

"We'll walk home with you when we're not practicing for our games," Stan told me. Most of the boys were involved in sports and some had clubs as well but not every day. These guys were surprisingly proactive.

"Especially since you're a girl." Craig said while not trying to insult me. I thanked them for worrying.

"Wow, superheroes. I wonder if they have real super powers," I gushed. "I love superheroes!" I clapped my hands together. "Is their identities a secret?"

"Of course," Cartman said while the others shrugged.

"There's villains too Y/N." Butters told me while holding his drink. The rest of the gang looked at him.

"Wow. Super heroes and super villains...so cool. It's like a story! I wonder if they're handsome... or maybe they're girls? Female superheroes! I wonder what their outfits look like or their lore..." I fangirled with the guys smiling at me. "I wonder if I can meet them someday? Gasp! What if I already have?" The guys laughed.

Some students I met said hello as they walked by and Kenny nudged me saying I was popular. According to them, this was true as word about me spread fast especially among the other boys, but I didn't pay much attention to that. I was too busy glancing at a table of pretty girls in cheer uniforms at the other side of the lunchroom. It was my angels, Bebe, Nichole, and Wendy. I waved at them when I saw them look at me.

After lunch we went to our last classes before heading home. I was beat from all the introductions and felt overstimulated. Clyde tried to give me a goodbye hug but Craig put his hand in front of him to stop him from clinging. I said goodbye to Team Craig who had a designated driver aka Token. Team Stan and Team BunBun walked home, before Butters separated from us, since the rest lived closer to me. Going to school, eating lunch, sharing classes, and going home with friends with the best.


	7. New Confusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed my writing into present tense.

We decide to drop by Stan's house so he could show me his dog.

_'Time to steal another pet!'_

I start humming the pizza song.

Stan smiles, "are you that excited?”

”Yep, actually it’s my first time visiting a boy’s house!” I sing, 'can I see your room too? You saw mines.”

”Uh..sure. Don’t get too excited, it’s just a room."

”I can show you my room later,” Kyle tells me.

”I can show you my room tonight!” Kenny muffles winking at me and earning a groan from Cartman.

”Lame. (Y/N), you should check out my video games at home,” Cartman invites me.

”Maybe another time I need to go home afterwards. My parents are having a housewarming dinner for their new job and for my first day of school.” I smile thinking about them.

”Neat, next time then,” Kyle states.

Once we get to Stan’s house he opens the door calling his dog. “Sparky! Here, boy! Sparky!” It's cute how he calls for his furry friend. Sparky comes rushing down the stairs, jumping into his arms. It's surprising how energetic he is despite his age. He sports a cute bandanna as a scarf.

”Oh my goodness...“

Sparky runs up to me and I let him sniff my hand before I attempt to pet him. “He’s so friendly!” The boy wags his tail hard. “He’s so soft and cute! Aw! Who’s a good boy? Who’s a good boy? Sparky is!” I stare at the old pup before looking at Stan as I hug his pet. “Ahem.” I clear my throat getting serious, “well it was nice visiting you home Stan. Thanks for the new dog. Bye-” Stan stops me from leaving the house with his dog while laughing.

”Hey kids, hi son!” It Stan’s parents. “This must be (Family name)’s daughter. Hello. We met your parents at dinner last night.” The older man sends me a friendly smile.

”Hello, I’m Sharon Marsh and this is Randy. You’re even prettier than your parents described you!” She dotes.

”Have fun son. Don’t lay a finger on (Y/N), she’s a good kid,” Randy shoots his son a finger gun walking into the kitchen with his wife. Stan pinches the bridge of his eyebrows groaning. We all go up to go into Stan’s room while I cling to his dog. It feels like a boy’s room. It even smells like one. Not in a bad way, it has Stan’s scent. 

”Wow,” I say in awe. “Stan, you have a nice room.” He has things in his room that shows his personality such as a football, posters, guitars, and more. Stan grins at me rubbing his neck. We hang out his room while randomly messing with his stuff and chatting. It's not long before I have to head home so Kyle offers to walk me back. Stan has to stop me from leaving the house with Sparky as I grumble at him for foiling my plans once again. On the way home, Kyle tells me that if I need help with homework I'm free to text him for help. He really is the best neighbor. We end up meeting his parents, Gerald and Sheila, outside his house by chance.

My parent are happy to see me enter the house. I finish up my homework before joining the housewarming dinner which featured all my favorites. I tell them all about my day and they notice I won't stop smiling. Once I get into bed I finally check my phone to see the group chat talking about me trying to steal Stan’s dog and how the math homework sucks. I remember talking about the superheroes of South Park and villains the boys spoke of earlier. I look them up and there's a lot of them with cool names and powers.

The one that catches my eye is a boy in a black cape with a big green question mark on top. His name is Mysterion. He seems really cool. Apparently his power is that he can't die.

_'How did they prove that?'_

I look up many articles, pictures, and videos. The pictures were mostly from when they were a lot younger. They have very few recent photos except for blurry ones in low resolution or ones taken from afar. I bet these heroes are handsome. There's even a female one. I want to meet them. I wonder if I should go on a hero hunt. Maybe the guys will be interested. I’m sure Butters will join me since he's my Bestie.

I see notifications on Coonstagram with friend requests from all many classmates including ones I have yet to introduce myself to and the cheerleaders. They are extremely gorgeous. Some of the girls have some heavily photoshopped pictures and filters which I find unnecessary since they're such Queens. I see some throwback photos from parties where my classmates attended. I smile seeing the funny pictures they are tagged in. I stop when I see Bebe clinging to Clyde’s arm in one of the pictures, Cartman playing beer games with a few girls, Kenny with a girl on each of his arms, Craig and Tweek surrounded by girls obviously flirting with then, Kyle talking intimately with a girl in a corner, and Wendy sitting on Stan’s lap in another.

I can't decipher the weird churning I have in my stomach. I wonder how old these pictures were. The date tells me it was freshman year, over a year ago. I don't like seeing these pictures but I couldn't pinpoint why. The girls, whom my friends spoke wearily of. being so close to them and seeing another side of the guys I never seen before gave me a strange emotion.

' _Could I be jealous_? _But of who_?'

I feel sick. Sick of myself for feeling this way and sick of this feeling. I feel like I saw something I wasn’t supposed to. I call Butters on the phone to calm my nerves and fall asleep while talking to him.

The next morning I wake up early again. The weird feeling in my stomach hasn't gone away, perhaps I ate too much last night. I decide to make a home cooked meal for Kenny and I which was a whole new experience. I rush out the house to see Kyle waiting for me on my front yard. He's standing in front of my snowman which hasn't changed appearance. It has a friend now.

“Morning (Y/N)! Your snowman has a neighbor,” he chuckles and I feel those feelings I have dissipate. I’m being silly.

“Cute! What should we name them?” I take out my phone snapping a photo. “This will be my first photo on Coonstagram!” I declare.

”Hmm...” Kyle looks up thinking, “how about Mr. Frost and Ms. Frost?” He brainstorms.

”What about Ky and ( _the first syllable of my name_ )?"

”We could do K. and ( _my first initial)_?

”That’s cute, I’ll use that!” I write “ K. & _(my initial_ ).” and click submit. I giggle and point to our snow persons,“it’s like they're a couple.' Kyle slightly blushes and we head to the to the bus stop where the boys greet us while conversing about a funny video.

“Ken..." I whisper to his ear behind my hand, “I brought us lunch.” I could see him grinning despite his orange jacket barrier obscuring my view. Class goes by slowly when I was bored but I'm happy I could be bored with all the teams. I don't remember the sick feeling I had until I see the girls again. They didn't do anything wrong so I feel guilty for feeling the the way I did. It's infuriating how beautiful they all are. I'm not angry but passionate about it. They tell me about cheer and ask if I want to try out. I shake my head refusing a little too quickly since it's something I can't see myself doing.

”Your uniforms are so cute. How are you all so beautiful in your outfits? Drop the skincare routine girls.”

”If I didn't know any better, I would say you're hitting on us.” Heidi responds as I gave her a serious stare. She widens her angelic eyes.

”I wasn’t hitting on you girls...” I pause, “unless you want me to." I start giggling.

”I can’t tell if you’re joking or serious,” Bebe places her chin in her hand.

”Sometimes I don’t know either,” I confess.

“Well Bebe and I are dating guys from North High so I’m going to shoot you down now,” Wendy entertains.

”Aw.” I pout, “I guess I have to settle for Red.”

”Hey!” She laughs slapping my arm lightly.

“Just kidding. you and Heidi are my angels/ I thought so ever since I met you two.” They smile at me.

”What about us?” Bebe and Wendy asks at the same time.

I point a finger on my chin thinking. “Thieves.” I tell them honestly. They open their mouth speechless. “You two snatched my wig and stole my heart.” I clench my chest, “I’m still bald.” They laugh.

”Okay, you might be hanging with those guys too much,” Wendy sighs.

”No, I was like this before I met them,” I shrug.

”What did your friends in the city think?“ Red asks curious.

' _What friends_?'

The teacher waltz in, ending our conversation.

' _Good timing_.'

After class, the girls invite me to eat lunch with them. No one was picking me up for class today since I knew the way now.

“Sorry, I’m sharing my lunch someone. What about tomorrow?” I suggest. They seem to accept that answer as I leave.

On the way out, someone reaches their arm around my shoulder,“(Y/N) sit with us!”

”Hey Clydey! Of course!” We chat as Token and Jimmy appear next to us to walk to the lunch room. I see Craig and Tweek sitting on a table across the room from Cartman, Kenny, and Stan on the other. “Huh? We’re not sitting together today?” I tilt my head. Team Stan minus Kyle looks in our direction and frowns at the person hanging on my shoulder.

”We don’t always sit with Team Stan y’know,” Token tells me.

”Sometimes they can get a-annoying.” Jimmy replies and I frown.

”Did something happen in class?” I see Craig noticing us across the room and flipping us off. I hide my hand behind the other hand and slowly bring up my middle finger making him grin. They ignore my question.

”Sorry, I’m sharing my lunch with Kenny today,” I slide Clyde’s arm off and he gasps dramatically.

”No...I want to eat with you,” he whines. The other two tries to convince me as well.

“I’ll eat with you guys next time, okay?” I turn away leaving their disappointed faces. Tweek and Craig look disappoint when they see me walking the other direction.

“Hey guys.” I sit across from Kenny with Cartman by my side. Kyle joins us a few seconds later with his tray of food. I prefer lunches from home but buying meals at school is an option if I ever forget.

”You’re sitting with us?” Stan smiles. The boys look at Team Craig's table and Craig gives them the middle finger.

”Yeah, Clydey wants me to eat with them but I’m sharing my lunch with Ken Ken today.” I take out my lunch and split it with a giddy Kenny while Butters joins our table. "I cooked it myself," I brag and his eyes brighten up.

”Kinny so poor, (Y/N) is always giving to charity,” Cartman mocks. I shoot him a glare but he's not the least bit intimidated.

”I like to share my meal with him because food tastes better with other people,” I assure.

”Whatever, just admit you feel sorry for him (Y/N)."

Kenny furrows his eyes at Cartman. He ignored the previous comments but this one seems to bug him. He glances at me waiting for my next response.

”No. I just care about my friends,” I defend to an unconvinced Cartman.

“Did he beg you?”

“Oh hamburgers...” Butters mutters.

”No.”

”Then why? Do you like him?”

”Why are you asking me this?”

”Cartman stop being an ass,” Kyle speaks up.

”She's nice, that’s why.” Stan helps and Kenny looks at me with curiosity.

”Kenny is my friend. I care about all my friends, even you guys. If you were hungry I would feed you too, even if it was a little.“

”So you did it to feel better about yourself?” Cartman asks.

“No,” I frown at him.

”Geez, why are you so serious? Are you on your period?”

"(Y/N) don't mind him. He's just jealous you made Kenny lunch instead of him." Kyle informs you as Cartman's face gets red.

"Why would I want her nasty cooking?" Cartman spits.

"You haven't even tasted it. Just admit you're jealous Cartman." Stan joins.

"You need to apologize to her, Eric." Butters says. He's mad too now. I huff and start to pout. Kenny notices and glares at Cartman who just shrugs.

"Sorry, you're so sensitive and got your feelings hurt. This is why girls are a pain," he says halfassed.

"That's not a real apology!" Kyle yells. I sigh putting my lunch back into my bag and walk out the lunchroom. I see Craig's gang notice me leaving and the two tables look at each other as I leave. I walk outside the school building and lay against the wall. I rub my temples just wanting some fresh air.

I hear a sigh.

“Go away. This place is taken.”

I look to the origin of the voice and it's Pete, the goth with red and black hair. The other Goths are sitting near him along with a younger Goth boy with black lipstick.

”Another conformist using their God’s name in vain. What a joke,” the Goth with curls, whom I recognize as Michael, blows out a smoke.

“You’re tainting the air with your conformist emotions,” the Goth girl named Henrietta says.

”Those emotions will never be as dark as the never ending abyss I feel in my black soul.” The young Goth mumbles.

“That’s pretty Goth.” Henrietta says.

I stare at them in silence. I don't know them well enough to unleash my inner fangirl so I look at them with a straight face. They seem chill.

”Why are you staring at us new girl?” Pete flips his hair out of his eye.

“I’m conforming to the ground. You can’t see me.” I stay still, “I’m practically invisible.” Pete’s cigarette almost slips out of his fingers from my _awesomeness_ , I'm sure.

”What the fuck?” Henrietta responds almost smiling, “I wondered what kind of conformist you were when we saw you hanging with all those boys and the cheerleaders in class...did not expect you to be a druggie.”

“If coffee is a drug then sign me up for rehab!” I proclaim, “you got any?” I ask not expecting an answer.

”Only black coffee.” Henrietta smiles.

“Was that an invitation?” I mean I could drink coffee black but whether I enjoy it or not was another story. If Tweek ever hands me black coffee, I'll drink it so fast since it's from him.

“What’s a conformist doing here away from her herd?” Pete asks.

”My friend Cartman is being an ass. My friends are acting weird to each other too. They didn't want to sit together." I kick a rock.

”Sounds like a problem we don’t care about. Those jocks are stupid competitive." Pete scoffs while thinking about them.

"There's nothing to be competitive about," I walk to the rock I'm kicking.

”Maybe they're being competitive over you,” Michael shrugs, puffing his cigarette. "You're the new kid and apparently everyone likes you and thinks you're pretty. It wouldn't be surprising if they had a thing for you."

I squint at him not convinced but blushing a little at the comment. "I don't know if everyone likes me, I haven't even met everyone yet. I'm not that pretty. I'm just a new girl, that's all."

Henrietta looks me over, "you don't give yourself enough credit. That's the deal with wannabe conformists...always wanting to be something they aren't and don't think they are what they are." The boys nod.

_'They're trying to make me feel better? Is this their way of comforting me?'_

"You Goths are so nice." I smile at them containing my gushing.

"What? We're not nice. We're Goth. There's nothing nice about us." Pete flips his hair.

I shake my head, “You Goths are mature...if I was Got,h would I understand my friends better?”

' _And myself_?'

”No. You need to look like us, dance like us, listen to the same music, and be a nonconformist.” Pete says.

”I understand” I nod not understanding at all. “I don't think I’m cut out to be Goth anyways. I like everything and everyone. By the way I like your styles! Goths are cool!” I open the door to go back into the building. “Bye Henrietta, Firkle, Pete, Michael!”

”How do you know all of our names?” Firkle asks still stunned by my lack of shame.

”Cyber stalking.” I smirk. Coonstagram is amazing. I wave as I slip inside. I see Butters and Kenny walking straight towards me once they spot me.

”Are you okay?” Butters asks putting his hand on my arm.

"Yeah, I'm okay now. Thanks Bunbun." I smile at him. Kenny pulls down his hoodie showing off his good looks.

"(Y/N)," he starts, "thanks for the food. It was delicious." I see him thinking before asking, "why do you share your lunch with me anyways? I know I'm poor and can't always afford lunch but I'm not a charity case I don't need you to feel sorry for me or feel like you need to help me."

"Because you're my friend."

He waits for me to continue.

"That's all. You're not a charity case. I admit I feel bad about your situation and I don't need to do this but I want to. You're my friend, it's the least I can do. Please let me." I look at him earnestly. He looks at the ground in contemplation before he looks at my face with a smile. "Also it kind of feels nice cooking for a good looking boy...I never did that before," I gush at a lower volume. Kenny chuckles and Butters shakes his head with a smile.

"By the way, why weren't you guys sitting with Team Craig? I get if you don't always sit with each other and have different friends but today you all seem off, even Cartman."

The two look at each other before looking back at me.

Butters says, "during class Team Stan and Team Craig had a fight over you."

"Why?" I'm flabbergasted. 

"G-golly I don't know...it started as a joke. Someone said you liked their team better and then the other one said you like theirs better. They started a big ruckus and almost started a fist fight."

I look at Kenny who looks away.

"Eric is usually like that...but when he saw you share your food with Kenny, he got mad again."

"Oh my gosh. That's so...so stupid! Why would you fight over me?" I'm confused.

Butters pouts. "Sorry. The guys seem to get worked up when it comes to you...even me..." he fiddles with his thumbs. "We usually don't get that mad for no reason." Kenny finally looks at me and says he's sorry. I let out a sigh.

"(Y/N)." It's Cartman and the rest of the guys behind him with their arms crossed. Cartman looks back at them with an annoyed expression and Craig and Kyle push him closer towards me. "(Y/N)...I-I...I'm so...rry." I barely hear him say.

I take a deep breath. "It's okay. I'm not mad anymore but you need to apologize to Kenny, not me."

He grimaces before sighing from the pressure the boy's behind him are emitting.

"Sorry Kinny," he says loud enough for Kenny to hear. Kenny nods.

"And everyone!" I shout loud enough to startle them. "I don't know why you guys were fighting over which team I like most. I like all of you. You're my first friends here at South Park. You're special to me." I smile at them. They look down feeling embarrassed I found out. "Also," I wait for them to all look at me, "Team Butters is my favorite." I stick out my tongue pulling Butters by the arm to go back to the lunch room so I can inhale my lunch before lunch is over. They follow us while chuckling in defeat. The rest of the day goes by quickly and I have fun teasing the boys about how Team Bunbun had no haters and only fans in denial.


	8. New Girl Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Their Usernames is partly inspired by their cards from the South Park Phone Destroyer game.

Today is lunch with the girls. The boys smile at me as I walk up to their table. They aren’t being idiots today and are all eating together. When handing Kenny his lunch, he wraps his arms around me into a tight hug, making Clyde cry out. Clyde is like a button that gets pressed when I interact with someone else. I'm comfortable with their antics and it hasn’t even been a full week. South Park is making me strange.

"Okay, got to go!"

They give me a questioning look.

"The cheerleaders invited me to lunch today, ciao!" I don’t see their expressions, when I skip away from their table. My angels, the thieves, a few new faces, and some female classmates I recognize , are sitting together. They welcome me and scoot so that there is enough room between Heidi and Red. Bebe and Wendy are across from me. Nichole isn’t here because she’s having a lunch date with Token. He told us not to expect him yesterday in chat. I'm internally jumping up and down. I couldn’t care less that these girls are popular. I'm just amazed such pretty girls want to sit with me.

' _I love pretty girls_!' I scold myself to calm down. I haven't sat with girls in so long. The boys are fun, but they can be gross and overbearing sometimes. On the other hand, these girls are emitting a cute glow that I can describe as 'flowery and sparkly'.

"What were you doing at Team Craig's and Stan's table?" A female classmate asks.

"I gave a friend some lunch. I like sharing with him." I smile, feeling included in the table.

"Those guys are so hot," another classmate, from the end of the table, gushes with a few others. I feel the same way. Before I can agree, Wendy shoots her a look, which shuts her up.

"What happened yesterday at lunch? I thought the guys were mad at each other, since they were glaring at each other." Wendy eyes me and takes a sip.

"Oh...you saw that?" I scratch my head.

"I heard they had a fight in class yesterday," Red gossips.

"Ah yeah. They were just being stupid."

They nod at my response, wanting more details.

"Well...if they ever cause you any problems you can tell us." Wendy points her fork at me and I nod at her. “We’re all friends.”

I have fun chatting with the girls, but every time I try to talk about something new, they steer the conversation back to the boys. I’m not comfortable sharing about their personal life so I keep it vague. I wonder if they had a fallout. It’s almost as if they were more interested in the boys, and not me. I brush the thought away, since Red and Heidi seems interested in me.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” One of the girls asks. I shake my head. Wendy pokes at her food with her fork, yet she’s not eating.

”Are you interested in one of them?” Bebe points in the direction of the boys from across the room, making me choke on my drink.

“No! Where did that come from? They’re just my friends.” I look at them incredulously.

”It’s just in Jimmy’s pics, you were wearing Craig’s hat. We've never seen him share his hat before,” Heidi explains. Well, technically, I stole it.

”Oh that’s a misunderstanding.”

' _Why were they so curious_?' It's starting to feel like an interrogation, making me nervous.

“It’s just weird. Craig is really popular. The girls backed off when he started dating Tweek a long time ago, but even after they broke up, he doesn’t talk to girls and barely responds to them.” Red says. "He even rejected Bebe." Bebe huffs at her.

”He’s really cold, unfriendly, and flips everyone off. He's usually in detention. Aren’t you scared of him?” Heidi asks me. I was dumbfounded. Craig isn't scary. Sometimes, he can be hard to read but I like that trait of him. He gives off a cool and mysterious aura.

”No, he’s really nice. He even showed me his pet guinea pig. Stripe is really cute!” I recall. The girls look at me in shock.

”What, Stripe? He never lets people he doesn’t like near his pet, not even girls!” Bebe lowers her voice getting when she catches it going higher. I tilt my head, feeling odd from their reactions.

_'Was it a big deal? I mean, of course it was! Stripe is a cutie!'_

I wouldn’t want someone to steal him either.

”Really? I love pets, I even met Stan’s dog Sparky yesterday.”

Wendy suddenly breaks her plastic fork. She's strong. Heidi and Red grow concerned.

”You went to Stan’s house?” Wendy lifts her eyebrow.

”Yeah... I went with Kenny, Kyle, and Cartman. I tried to steal Sparky but he wouldn’t let me.” I laugh weakly, feeling self conscious. She stares at me and I wonder if I said something wrong. I glance around the table and they all seem to be side eyeing me, except for Bebe and Wendy drilling holes into me. My angels aren’t look at me with lowered head downs to their food.

“Do the guys ever mention any of us? Clyde, for example?” Bebe inquires, flicking her beautifully manicured nails.

”Not really...” I don’t know what they want me to say. The atmosphere feels awkward and a little unsettling. I fidget in my seat.

"Y/N, if you only hang out with the guys, everyone is going to think something is going on..." Bebe warns me. I furrow my eyebrows, trying to understand what she means. "It's already strange Team Craig and Team Stan are hanging out a lot the past few days."

_'How were they before I came?'_

”You should stay away from them,” Wendy places her fork down. ”They may act nice but they always cause problems. They only have their looks and popularity.”

’ _Excuse me?’_

”Thanks for the warning, but you girls don’t have to worry about them.” I smile, hoping it ends the conversation.

”We're just worried about you,” Wendy exhales, "everyone is going to think you're a slut.”

_'Who is everyone?'_

"You shouldn't get involved with them," Bebe scowls in their direction, “they’re no good.”

“Especially Cartman and Stan." Wendy says. The girls nod in agreement, while I sit there, not fully comprehending.

"Clyde too...he‘s so desperate," Bebe says, twirling her blond curl on her finger. “I broke up with him since he's too clingy. He always gave me gifts, until he found out I was dating someone else. Now he barely gives me any attention."

"You traded up girlfriend," a girl says to her.

Bebe sighs. “I wish no one told him. Those purses and shoes were to die for.” I move my shaking hand under the table.

' _How could they say these things about my friends, in front of my face, like this_? _Did they have a bad breakup?'_

"At least, his dad owns such a nice shoe store though,” another teen speaks with a disgusted expression. "That Kenny boy has nothing and he’s such a flirt too. Who wants to date a brokeass fuckboy? So dirty.” They laugh.

_'So what if he's poor?’_

”They're losers, ” Wendy laughs.

“Team Losers,” Bebe jokes. 

_'What does that make me?'_

"Especially, Tweek with his twitching and stuff," a girl rolls her eyes. "He's always freaking out. What a crackhead."

' _Anxiety is different for everyone, so what if he’s anxious_?'

I clench my hands.

"Craig never talks to us but he talks to you," a girl says to me, "he must think you're like a boy."

“Maybe that’s why he talks to her since he’s gay.” Bebe grins.

’ _Whether he's gay, straight, bi, or whatever, is none of our business_.’

"At least, Token is nice," Wendy adds, "I used to go out with him, guess he had to settle for Nichole.” 

' _Who asked_?' 

“Don’t even get us started on Butters." Wendy laughs, growing confident from their reactions. “He might be the biggest loser.” 

_**BOOM** _

I slam my hands on the lunch table. The girls jump a little from the sudden outburst.

“Stop it. Those are my friends you’re talking about.” I glare at them while standing.

“Why are you so mad? We’re just trying to help you." Wendy crosses her arms. “You don’t even know them.”

”Yeah, why are you being a little Bitch? We’re just warning you to stay away from those losers.” Bebe stands up at eye level with me.

“They aren’t losers. Losers are people who talk bad about others for no reason!” I clench my firsts to my sides.

“Yeah right. You’re just saying that because they give you attention. You’re such an attention whore. Don’t think we don’t know how fake you are.” Bebe accuses, "you and your fake compliments. I mean, who talks like that?”

_'I do, that’s who.'_

“I don’t care what you think of me. I like you girls. I want to tell you how I feel, is that so hard to believe? You can talk bad about me, I’m used to it, but don’t talk bad about my friends ever again.” I say, trying not to lose my temper. These girls need a bitch slap.

“Those guys will leave you when they’re bored anyways. You’re so conceited, just because you’re a little pretty." Wendy spits. "Hell, I wouldn’t even be surprised if you were sleeping around, no wonder they stick around you so much. Keep away from Stan, you skank.”

”What the hell? I’m not doing any of those things! He can hang out with whoever he wants. You don’t own him.”

“Don’t mess with me, Y/N.” She growls giving me the chills. "You’re just an outsider, once the new kid perk wears off, they’ll drop you.” I walk off, hearing enough of her threats, earning a few verbal insults from the other. My angels still have their heads down, staying silent the whole time. I'm feeling sick to my stomach. I run to the restroom, running past the boys' table who noticed the small commotion. I barely made it to the toilet before I vomit what little food I ate earlier.

The rest of the day goes by in a daze. My Bestie is the first to ask what's wrong, but when I open my mouth to tell him, I choke up when I feel their eyes on me.

_'Why can’t I say it?'_

I open my mouth before shutting it. I refuse to say anything about it during class, and they choose not pry based on my reaction. I decide I'll tell them in group chat once I’m home. Sometimes, I’m more confident speaking through text. I scroll to the latest messages and notice the updated usernames.

  
**Group Chat:**

**Kenken** : ( . )( . ) boobs.

 **GrandWizardCartman** : Okay, out with it Y/N. You're being lamer than usual.

 **Chaotic Bun** : She's upset about something.

 **Ninjew** : Are you okay Y/N?

 **StantheGreat** : Did the girls do something? We saw you run off at lunch.

 **SpaceCraig** : What did they say to you?

 **Clydey** : Did they say something about us? The girls love to gossip especially Bebe.

 **RogueToken** : She ate with the girls? Nichole said their group chat has been _off_ lately.

She thinks they might have made a new one without her.

 **GrandWizardCartman** : Don't let those bitches corrupt you with their bitchiness.

Or I’m going to drop you as a sidekick.

 **Ninjew** : She’s not your sidekick.

 **GrandWizardCartman** : Follower, disciple, underling...watevah I do what I want.

 **Kofi** : Y/N, you can always talk to us.

 **NewKid Y/N** : Are you friends with them?

 **StantheGreat** : It’s complicated.

 **Kofi** : Kind of.

We grew up together but we're not close.

 **Jimmi** : We get invited to their parties all the time.

But half of us don’t hang with them outside of school besides that.

 **Kenken** : Except for dates...

 **Ninjew** : Not all of us.

 **Kenken** : Anyways, the only girl I care about is my little sister Karen.

And Y/N [ _wink emote_ ]

 **SpaceCraig** : I just tolerate them.

 **RogueToken** : Nichole is cool, obviously, along with some of her friends, like Red and Heidi.

Everyone else is like an acquaintances.

 **Jimmi** : We’ve been through a lot of shit. The guys and the girls.

 **GrandWizardCartman** : But BUt they're so SmaRt and FunnY!

I can't stand them.

Right, Butters?

 **Chaotic Bun** : Yep.

They're too much drama. Not worth it.

Except for you, Y/N!

 **Ninjew** : Those girls love drama.

 **GrandWizardCartman** : They act sweet to your face and then they backstab you!

 **Clydey** : They are North Park boys' problem now.

 **StantheGreat** : I think they’re mad we’re tired of their bullshit.

We stopped hanging with them as much.

 **Kofi** : I think so too.

 **GrandWizardCartman** : The day you dudes stopped simping for them, was the day I earned my wings.

Literally, I went to KFC to celebrate.

 **NewKid Y/N** : They said some things at lunch that I didn’t agree with.

 **StantheGreat** : Like what? 

**SpaceCraig** : What?

 **Kofi** : What did they say?

 **NewKid Y/N** : Too much.

I’m just scared you will all stop being my friends.

 **Ninjew** : Why would we? Is that what they told you?

 **NewKid Y/N** : I don’t know. 

**SpaceCraig** : That’s not a good answer.

 **NewKid Y/N** : Are you friends with me only because I'm the new kid?

Are you guys going to get bored of me?

I feel my hands clamming up while holding my phone. They aren't responding right away. A few seconds pass and their messages arrive simultaneously.

**Ninjew** : I almost went running to your house. No!

 **Kofi** : NO KIRNO;IFEROPUFNIL NO!

 **SpaceCraig** : Are you really this dense?

 **Kenken** : Never.

 **Jimmi** : No. You're great. I even suspected you might be an ad lol

 **Clydey** : What?! NO. no non no no no

 **Chaotic Bun** : You're my bestie. We'll always be friends.

 **StantheGreat** : You're the coolest girl we know.

 **RogueToken** : You're not just a new kid. You're our friend.

 **GrandWizardCartman** : I wouldn't let just any dumb bitch join our friend group.

You're our Bitch.

 **Ninjew** : Don't call her a bitch, Fatass.

 **SpaceCraig** : We wouldn't talk with you if we thought you were boring.

 **Chaotic Bu** n : Things aren't going to be like ( _insert my previous city_ ).

You can trust us. I promise.

 **Kofi** : What happened at ( _previous city_ )?

I read their messages through my tears. I was really shaken up by the girls, even though I didn't want to admit it. All the things they said about my friends, hurt me more than hearing them curse at me. I don't want to tell the guys the horrible things they said since it hurts to remember.

**NewKid Y/N** : You're the bestest friends I've ever had.

Thank you.

I smile at the chat. Since the girls failed to keep me away from my friends, I’m worried they may try to keep them away from me.

**NewKid Y/N** : You're my bitch too, Cartman.

 **GrandWizardCartman** : Aye


	9. New Daughter

The next few weeks fly by fast. I sit near the Goth kids in the class I share with the cheerleaders. The Goths are absolutely ecstatic to have me around. I can tell by their frowns that ' _deep deep deeeep deep down'_ they enjoy my company _._ I know, that them calling me a conformist, is just their way of sweet talking me. Maybe.

The girls I sat with at lunch that day, don't fail to bump into me when they get the chance or send me death glares. They unfriended me on Coonstagram. Most girls in my grade aren't even in their 'clique', but to avoid trouble with the Student Council President and the cheer team, they keep their distance from me. When I try to talk to them, they panic, thinking they will get caught for being involved with me. I don't mind it too much since this is tame compared to my old school. Only Butters knows what I went through so he's been checking up on me nonstop.

I miss my angels though. When we make eye contact, they make an apologetic expression. After that day, they both sent me texts apologizing for not saying anything, but I knew that they wouldn't leave their social circle. The only girls I can talk to is Henrietta and Nichole, who is suspicious but unaware of the mess.

There's also random cutie pies I catch drawing Yaoi in the libraries or the hallways. When I first saw them, they ignored me. They thought I would judge them until I gushed over their work. I love fanart and they draw so well. We exchange secret smiles whenever we pass by each other. The other day, they gave me a present, a Yaoi picture of my guy friends. I put it away for safekeeping. It's my secret treasure. The guys keep an eye on me to make sure I'm not taking the animosity too hard and to make sure nothing escalates. I like my school life even if I'm not surrounded by girlfriends.

' _Who am I kidding_? _I miss being around the Queens very much.’_

I goof off at lunch with the boys and keep sharing my lunches with Kenny. The boys have been getting closer to me over the weeks. I went to Jimmy's hilarious stand up night, did homework at Tweek's cafe, visited Craig's and tried to steal Stripe, and found out Clyde also has a dog, who I proceeded to make only halfway out the door with. I also tried to strangle Butters' parents from behind, but Butters held me back. We only reached his front door, before they grounded him for the nth time. Apparently, they didn't like his entrance so I nearly lost it.

Anyways, we snuck him some games and a burner phone through his window via Cartman's genius plan. He offered only when I wouldn't stop _‘bitching'_ in his words, not mine. All I have to do in return, is share my lunch with him for a while. So far, I have visited all their houses except for Token and Kenny, but I made a mental note to do so soon. This weekend, Token invited us all to visit his home to hang out. I got excited because Tweek told me his home is a mansion.

Now here we are, today, at lunch, on the topic of South Park superheroes.

”I guess, since you're full, you won't be eating this...yoink!” Cartman snatches the rest of my food. Kyle gives him an annoyed look. The guys were quizzing me, on what I know and what I don't know, about the heroes and villains.

"Who is you're fav Y/N?" Clyde leans over the table.

”My fav? Hm...I don't know. I think... Mysterion? He's my favorite!” My eyes are sparkling. The boys stiffen while Kenny straightens up. “Yeah, I don’t know much about them, but he’s so...mysterious...and I don’t know. Brooding? I think he’s the coolest, based on the fan accounts I saw online.” Cartman doesn't hide his annoyance.

”Mmmph mph!” Kenny eyes sparkle as well. He must love Mysterion too.

”I know! I think he might be the most handsome too, underneath that mask, but I don’t know. It’s just my speculation. I bet he's muscular. I wonder who he is...”

Kenny is in high spirits.

“Can he save me from school? Kay, thanks.” I wiggle. Cartman's face is slightly red. I guess Mysterion isn't his favorite. "Who’s your fav, Cartman?"

"Obviously, it's this town's number one superhero, the Coon." He answers ‘the Cyoon’, like it's the most obvious answer. His pronunciation of certain words is cute.

"I want to go superhero hunting. Any of you in? We can go tomorrow night since we're going to Token's on Saturday."

The boys look at each other in silent conversation.

' _Do they have telepathy_?'

I look at Butters and he rejects me, despite my expectations. "What? I thought all of you would be interested since you guys like to do crazy, wild stuff. What happened to the guys you told me about who played a role playing fantasy game that involved nazi zombies?" My mouth is open.

"Y/N, it's too dangerous. It's not that simple. Don't get involved with those heroes. Nothing good will come of it." Butters dissuades me and they agree. They don't budge on the topic so I pout.

 _'Fine. I guess I'll go by myself.'_

I decide not to tell them my plan. My parents won't be home starting today so tomorrow I can have my nightly adventure without worry. After school, Team Stan and I drop by Cartman's house, after we part ways with Butters. He has a new VR game that we're curious about.

"Aw poopykins." Cartman's mom Liane cooes. "You brought the girl you're always talking about again."

"Maawm! That's not true. Go away. Don't bother us."

"Okay honey buns. I'll bring you a snack later."

"Sweeet."

His mom is so patient. She has so many nicknames for him. It must've been rough raising a son by herself, especially with the son being Cartman. I keep that to thought to myself. I understand the adults in South Park aren't perfect, after hearing the dysfunction that goes around town. He has a bunch of cool junk and I spy his Clyde frog plush in a new position. I think Cartman is a huge softie like a bear. His mom waltz in with a photo album while we're in the middle of testing out his VR set. She insists on showing me the pictures despite Cartman's protest.

"Y/N, look at my little man when he was a little man."

"Aw! Isn't this all of you guys?" I point at their gang's pictures from when they were little kids. "So cute!" The boys face palm and Cartman whines for her to leave. I clench my heart from the overbearing cuteness. "Oh my goodness, gracious, you were all so cute! What happened?" I tease and his mom giggles with me.

"If you and my boy ever have a baby, he might look like this." She points to a baby photo of Cartman and his Clyde frog. Cartman rushes to push her out the door and slams it, before she can utter another word. His cheeks are red. I guess he's mad. I squeeze my cheeks, looking at the crew, while still fangirling over their younger selves. After playing around with the VR game for a few hours, Kyle walks me home.

His mom Sheila invites me to have dinner when she sees us outside. Not wanting to refuse a hot meal, I accept. When my parents aren’t here, they invited me over a few times for dinner. I've gotten comfortable enough to ask to come over after school, just to idle in his room. I like the company while playing on my portable gaming console or doing my homework. Sometimes he helps me study while Ike usually stays his room to talk to his friends on Discord. It almost feels like a second home. Our parents get along as much as Kyle and I do.

"Y/N, don't hold back. Eat as much as you want." Gerald says.

"Yes, Bubba hand some over to Y/N dear would you." Sheila urges.

"I'm bursting right now Mr. and Mrs. Broflovski.” I pat my bloated belly. "That was yummy."

"Wha wha whaaat? Are you too full for dessert?"

"I'm never too full for dessert." I say seriously, making Kyle grin.

"So, Y/N dear, I see you and my Bubba have been getting along well." She grins at us and we look at each other. I shrug and nod.

"You two would be awful cute together, don't you think?" Gerald winks at Kyle, making him pull his hat down.

Sheila gets excited. "She's a smaht girl and cyute too.”

"I-I umm he's one of my best friends." I blush, looking at my plate.

"Mom. Dad. She said she always wanted a little brother." Ike informs them with a mischievous grin.

"Oh...Y/N if you ever marry Kyle, Ike will be your little brother in law." Sheila claps.

"Not you too..." Kyle sinks down in his chair with his face reddening by the second. I'm sure I shared the same expression. "Let's go, Y/N."

"W-wait, I want to help clean up." I stammer.

"No, no, you two go on ahead." Sheila encourages, making Kyle groan as he drags me away.

"Thanks for the food!" I say as we leave the kitchen. We head inside his room, where I look around, too embarrassed to look at him. My eyes settle my window from outside his window. I mentally note that I forgot to close my window curtain. Kyle's room is always clean and he always has books lying around. He's pretty studious. He looks cute when he's focused on his school work.

_'The way he furrows his brows in concentration...who doesn't like an intelligent man?'_

"Sorry about that," Kyle apologizes once he enters his room. He rubs his neck, looking down at me. I'm not short but the boys in South Park are much taller than me.

"It's okay. My parents can be embarrassing too, sometimes." I say, my cheeks still feels hot.

"Oh yeah," he goes to his desk, grabbing something, "you should read this book. I think you might like it, it reminded me of you."

"Oh sure! Thanks for letting me borrow it." I smile at him. We smile at each other for a bit, before he coughs and looks away. I rub my arm, not sure what else to say. "I think I'm going to go home now, it's getting late. Thanks Kyle." He nods, walking me to his door. "You don't have to walk me home, I'm right there." I laugh.

"I know," he says. I skip to my house, and when I go to unlock it, I glance at his door to see him still watching me. I wave and he waves back. Once I'm inside, I shake my head to get rid of whatever it is I’m feeling. I wonder why his parents had to say those things. I put my backpack away and go to wash the day's filth away. I lazily dry myself off with the towel and put on my some pajamas. I head downstairs to grab a drink since no one is home. Despite it sometimes feeling lonesome, I enjoy the freedom of doing whatever I want. I go to my room, sitting on my bed to dry off my hair, and attempt to do some risque looking yoga, when I notice notifications on my phone next to me. The boys are chatting about Cartman's VR game we played a few hours ago, before I see a text from just Kyle.

**Kyle** : Y/N! Close your curtains!

I look up, seeing my curtains wide open, allowing Kyle's window to have a full view of my room. I can't believe I forgot. If he happened to see me, he must've seen everything. I rush to close my blinds and notice his curtains are already closed.

' _What a gentleman!'_

He could've just kept it a to himself but he didn't.

**Me** : Thanks Kyle! Sorry!

I almost chuck my phone from embarrassment.

**Kyle** : Don't be sorry! I didn't see anything.

We both knew that wasn't true.

**Me** : It's okay, I guess that makes us even.

 **Kyle** : Wait, what?!

I don't answer. I reminisce about the red head, I happened to peek at by chance, changing into a shirt. He's not just brains.


	10. New Mistakes

_'Heh...hehe...haha...hahaha!'_

”Y/N...” Butter taps my arm, grabbing my attention. It’s Friday during lunch time. I am so pumped to do my superhero busting, hunting, or whatever it is, I’m planning on doing tonight. The guys told me they’re busy having guys night and I’m not one to interrupt male bonding. I rub my knuckles, imitating my bestie Butters when he’s feeling a certain way.

”Golly Y/N, are you planning something? You’re using that laugh...the one I hear before you do something crazy in game or right before you tease us about something...” he eyes me suspiciously. 

_‘Was I that obvious?’_

“Oh Bunbun, you know me so well,“ I lightly slap his arm, leaving him guessing. I can’t stop smiling. The guys smile at me, looking relieved that I’m getting happier each passing day, even if I am acting strange. I think about all the heroes I want to see, and if I can see at least one, I would _fangasm_. I might faint if I see Mysterion. I found a rare Coon shirt for sale online and Cartman was really happy when he saw me wearing it this morning. He really likes the Coon and I don’t blame him.

”Tweekie...can I drop by to get some coffee on the way home?” I lean in close, noticing his spike in adrenaline, as I lean in closer. Coffee will help me stay awake during my quest.

”Sure! You’re always welcome! Too close! AH!” I lean back in surprise, “Sorry...” he twitches, slightly pulling his hair, “you’re so pretty, so when you get close...it’s too much pressure!” I blush from his explanation as he does from his own outburst. “ _Hyaaah_!”

“Thanks.” I pat his back, hoping to calm him, “you make me feel the same way...”

”Re-really?” He lowers his voice.

”Yes, you all do. You’re all so good looking, cool, and funny.” I raise a finger for each point I make. “Every time you guys looked at me or talked to me, I felt like my heart would explode. I don't always fangirl like that, did you know?” I glance up at him and at the rest of the table where the rest of the dudes are eavesdropping.

”Not a-at all. I didn’t even notice you felt that way. I just thought that’s how you were around everyone.”

”Not everyone,” I confess.

”Y/N...” Clyde looks at me with a red tint on his cheeks, “did I really make you feel that way?” I avert my eyes from his gaze. I can hear him making a happy noise.

”Do you still feel that way now?” Stan asks me.

_‘Of course I do!’_

”No.” I guess my expression tells them otherwise, since Craig and Stan smirk. I swear I see Kenny do too but he nuzzles into his orange coat right away. Cartman and Kyle get lost in thought from my response. Butters isn’t the least bit surprised and is entertained by the the hole I am digging myself into. Thankfully, the others aren’t here right now. Token is with Queen Nichole and Jimmy is working on a news story in the computer room with a classmate named Scott. Cartman never fails to remind us that Scott Malkinson has diabetes for some reason.

“What do you mean by when you _fangirl_?” Cartman asks and by his tone he expects an honest reply. I’m taken aback, realizing I never asked myself the same question.

”When I fangirl...I have this really strong feeling over something or someone. My heart wants to yell my admiration and support. I have to compliment... I don’t like to keep that inside, so I say it out loud or it feels like I‘ll explode.” I laugh to myself, “I’m very passionate.”

”Well by loose definition a fangirl is an enthusiastic female admirer or devotee.” Kyle tells me. “In your case, it’s for cute things and cute guys?”

”Girls too.” I add. “Also cool, sexy, wonderful...so many,” I shake my head.

”It sounds like you're crushing on us.” Craig teases.

”No. No. No. Bunbun explain!” I grab him, hiding my face behind his back.

”It means she likes us but not like _like_.” Butter teases. “Though, I think she’s the type to someday confuse the two.” I feel attacked.

We keep talking about this, even once school is over. Since I asked to get coffee at Tweek’s, Token offers to drive me from the cafe and back to my house. I instantly get hyped. I wave off the betrayed Team Stan with no hesitation to follow Team Craig. Token drives with Craig in the front, and me in between Tweek and Clyde. Clyde throws his arm over my shoulder. I unhook it so he whines and Jimmy laughs from beside him. I squeeze closer to Tweek, who responds by softly shrieking, which makes Craig turn to yell at us all to shut up. It’s pretty fun being in the car with them. Once I get coffee poured into my personal thermostat, Token drops me off home.

I stuff a tiny backpack full of things I think I might need for my personal mission.

’C _apturing hot superheroes!’_

I'm not actually planning to capture them since that would be kidnapping.My hope is to see them with my own two eyes, maybe snap a picture or video. Maybe, just maybe, if I’m lucky, I’ll meet them. I’m sure they’re busy.

Based on my research honed by being a fangirl, they usually make an appearance at night and then they patrol at random to keep criminals on their toes. Freedom Pals and The Coon and Friends are the team names but I haven't heard recent reports of Call Girl.It’s possible she left.I'm disappointed I won't see the only female hero, but if I'm lucky enough, maybe I will run into one of the males.

In order to find them, I must go to hot spots for crime. I recall the locations I have been warned by the boys not to visit at night. I know it sounds stupid but I'm not a total idiot. I’ve taken self defense before moving here. I wanted to be able to defend myself if anything ever got serious enough. I’m not going to approach bad guys. I just want to be close enough to watch from afar. I armed myself with my bit of experience, the pepper spray my parents gave me, binoculars, and a whistle, just in case.

I’m being somewhat reckless but I want to have my own crazy South Park experience. My friends have experienced so much and they were only little kids at the time. I dress in my least detectable clothes possible, which is in all black, consisting of a pair of boots, sweater with a cat hoody, cat beanie, thick leggings, and jean shorts in case I need to run. 

_‘I like cat themes so sue me.’_

I pack some snacks, water bottles, and a sandwich. I can barely contain myself and rush out the door. South Park is pretty different at night. I could feel the chilly air wrap around my cheeks and see the moths fluttering to the lamp posts. I decide to use some side roads to avoid accidentally running into anyone I know. My parents can’t know about this and the guys were really adamant about me not seeing the heroes.

I jump over a small stream, and that's when I hear it, a small cry from nearby. I grab my phone, ready to dial emergency, with a whistle in my mouth and pepper spray in the other.This might be dangerous, someone might be in danger. I temporarily forget about the heroes and rush to the source. I sweat as I peek behind a tree and see a little girl. I check her surroundings and realize she's alone.

"Are you okay?" I run to the crying girl and place my hands on her shoulders, checking her body to make sure she's not hurt. The girl looks up and she's adorable, despite the dirt on her cheeks, hands, and clothes. "What's wrong, are you hurt?" She shakes her head from side to side. I use my sleeve, wiping the filth off her cheeks. "You're okay now." I gently tell her.

She hiccups, "my friends at school told me that you can find a four leaf clover he-here.” She sniffs, "they said finding a four leaf clover gives good luck. I looked for a long t-time but I can’t find any." I pat her back to soothe her. "I didn't know so much time passed and now it's so dark...I don't remember the way home from here..."

"There, there." I squat on my knees, "I'll get you back home, I promise." I smile and she stops sniffling and smiles at me with a trail of snot and tears. I give her some tissues from my mini back pack and clean her up. Her cheeks are cold so I take my cat beanie and place it over her head. “You look so cute.” She gives me a big smile. "My name is Y/N. What’s your name?"

"It's Karen." She says as I grab her hand to lead her out of the small wooded area. I lead her to where I think the roads are, but it's harder for me to recognize everything, due to the darkness. I pull out my sandwich since I’m sure she’s hungry. "Next time, I'll help you look for four leaf clovers,” I look down to her, "I've always wanted to find one too.”

She happily accepts the sandwich. "I wanted to give one to my big bwother because he's the best!"  
"Aw," I coo, "I wish I had a cute little sister like you.”

"I wish I had a pretty older sister like you. I only have two brothers." She says bashfully and then she gets a thought. “C-can I call you bi-big sissy?"

_‘My heart!’_

_”Yes_! I'll call you little sissy!" 

She gives me an angelic smile. She finishes her sandwich and I give her a drink while I drink my coffee. We find a road near a bus stop with a flickering streetlight. From the shadows, a man stumbles out like a zombie. I pull Karen close while backing away from him cautiously. Thinking quickly, I hand my pepper spray to Karen, and put the whistle around her.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing around here?" He slurs as I reach for my phone.

_‘Gross! I’m underage.’_

"Do you have any spare change?" He doesn't seem homeless, but something is off, like he's high or worse. Not wanting to expose Karen to the druggie, I quickly turn to make a run for it with her, but like a cliche movie, more goons come out of the alley from the opposite side. It looks like I infiltrated a drug deal by mistake. I mentally kick myself for getting, not just me, but Karen into this mess.

I scan the area for an exit and I see an escape route, that only Karen can take to safety. I'm sure she can find her way home. I just need to get these guys away. I'm well aware I'm about to do something stupid, but she's more important. Better I get caught than her. I shudder and speak, low enough for only her to hear, to run in that direction without me, and to not stop until she makes it home. She looks at me with worry, refusing to let go of my hand, and I lie, telling her that I'll be okay.

"Now...Run!" I dash, tackling the one man that could potentially foil her escape. The man falls backwards and I effectively elbow him as I stand up to run. I guess I wasn't quick enough as the two goons pull me backwards by my hoodie and I take a swing. I manage to land a punch on one druggie but the other uses the chance to smack me across the cheek. The force spins me to the ground.

 _’I'm happy Karen got away but_...’ I think about all my friends laughing with me. _‘I'm sorry everyone.’_

Tears fill my eyes as I lift my arms ready to defend myself against their next attack, since they're too close to run.

"Stop right there!" I look up to see a few figures rushing to our location and some arriving from the direction that Karen ran off to.She’s in the arms of a teen superhero. As soon as I blink, the tears roll down my cheeks. The superheroes that I have only seen through my screen are right in front of me. They attack the men with their superpowers as I put my hands to my mouth in shock. The super heroes I want to see are right in front of me.

‘ _They have real superpowers! Oh my God, are those abs under their costume? Look at those muscles! Wow!’_

To be honest, I have never been saved before in my life. No matter how much I wished for someone to help me, defend me, and fight for me, no one ever did.

I watch the hero Wonder Tweek use lightning to electrocute zap a man. A handsome teen, who bares a striking resemblance to another one I know, named Super Craig, punches a druggie coming from behind. The Coon scratches up a man with surprising agility for his size. Tupperware, the hero covered in containers, manages to block attacks while the Mosquito buzzes next to him in a team combo attack. It's like I'm watching a movie. Toolshed ducks a punch and uses a drill to knock over the guy to his knees. Captain Diabetes eats something and powers up to throw down a druggie.

_‘My favorite Mysterion! He's so mysterious while beating the shit out of one of them! And where is Human Kite- oh! He’s in the sky, shooting lasers from his eyes!’_

Karen jumps down from the arms of Fast Pass whom I assume found her. She runs up to me, crying from relief, "big sissy!" I hug her tight. "I blew your whistle and they found me!" She points to Mysterion. “That's my guardian angel! He always protects me. He'll save us." She smiles with confidence and I smile back at her, hoping she doesn’t notice my wet cheeks. Once they apprehend the criminals, the cops arrive within seconds. Apparently, they were notified by the famous Doctor Timothy. It looks like the police are used to receiving their help, since they only ask Karen and I a few questions to get our witness statement,s before driving off with the handcuffed men. The heroes come to check that we are safe and sound.

“Fear not, citizens!" The Coon roars, while approaching me. They all do until they see my face, and suddenly, I start feeling self conscious. I’m still on my knees with Karen hugging my neck from the side. Every single pair of superhero eyes are staring at me. I blush a little from the unexpected attention. My adrenaline is still pumping. It’s as if all heroes stopped breathing. Their expressions are a mix of concern, disbelief, and for some reason, anger. I freeze up. 

“What are you doing out here?” Mysterion startles me with his loud gruff voice.

“I...wanted to see if I could see superheroes so I went looking for you." I redden from my dumb confession. “I just wanted to take a picture or see you all in action.” I mumble.

“Are you an idiot?” Super Craig makes me flinch from his sudden shout. My eyes widen once I realize he isn't just Super Craig.

‘ _He’s Craig_!’

My heart pounds in bewilderment and confusion.

”We told you not to look for us,” the Coon looks annoyed as he scratches his head.

’ _Us? Wait...Cartman?_ ’ I guess based on his build.

"Y/N, are you hurt?!"

My ears quirk at the familiar voice belonging to Wonder Tweek. "T-Tweek?" My eyes widen. They halt once they hear my shaken voice. I look at all of them and come to recognize Jimmy, Stan, Token, and the teen, I have never been formally introduced but have seen, Scott Malkinson. The identities of Mosquito, Human Kite, and Mysterion are still unknown to me.

"Why didn't you listen to us?” Mysterion yells at me, breaking the silence. “It's dangerous out here! What if you got hurt?" I tear up, not expecting to get yelled at, even though I understand that I’m the one who put myself in danger in the first place.

"I-I'm sorry." I tear up, not knowing what to say.

"Stop!" Karen puts her arms in front of me. "Don't yell at big sissy!"

"Karen, it's dangerous.” Mysterion says, “why are you here? You should be home!"

"S-sissy helped me! I was lo-lost and she was bringing me home, but then those scary men came. She told me to run and I did. She gave me these." She shows them the whistle and the pepper spray. "So please don't be mad at her, guardian angel." I'm touched that Karen is able to stand up to the heroes despite the previous scary situation. The boys look at her before looking at me.

”Did you really think you could handle those guys all by yourself?" A furious Mysterion speaks in a lower volume.

"No...as long as they didn't get Karen I..." I can't finish my sentence. The heroes frown when they understand the weight of the implication.

"Y/N..." Human Kite says my name and I recognize the voice of my best neighbor, Kyle. Mosquito runs up to me and hugs me. I only realize it's Clyde once I smell his familiar scent. My eyes fall back to Mysterion.

_’Who are you?’_

"You're hurt.” Mosquito traces my swollen cheek with his fingertips and I flinch from the sting. Human Kite runs up to me, scanning my body along with the others.

"Fellas, w-we should take her h-home." Fast Pass suggests and they nod in agreement.

"Can you take Karen home for me? You can do it the fastest." Mysterion says to him.

Fast Pass looks at me and back at the heroes. “D-don't be too hard on her." Before Fast Pass walks to Karen, I look to her and smile.

"Thank you Karen. I'll find clovers with you someday okay?"

"Okay!" She takes off the cat beanie I lent her.

"No, you keep it. It looks cuter on you lil sissy."

She gives me the cutest smile. "Thanks big sissy!"

Mysterion watches our little interaction with soft blue eyes. Oddly enough, this is what allows me to put the pieces together, that he is Kenny. Fast Pass picks her up and they vanish with a string of lights. I watch them from the ground in amazement.

"Let's go Y/N. We’ll escort you home.” The Kite says to me and I tighten my lips in response. "Are you hurt?"

“I can’t stand up.” I blush, “I was really scared and now I don’t have the strength to stand up.” He sighs with relief. Toolshed pushes past Mosquito and helps me up by the arms. I stand, losing my balance, and he catches me against his chest. I feel a whirl of emotions, but I manage to suppress them. I just want to go home.

It must be a strange sight for anyone who happens to witness a teen girl being walked home by a group of teenage superheroes. Fortunately, it’s late at night and the streets are empty. I'm walking in the center of the group while no one says a thing. I have so many questions and so many things I want to say but I hold it in.

Wonder Tweek walks next to me, grabbing my hand. "Are you cold?" He looks at me with worry.

"No, why?"

"Y-you're shaking..." He tightens his grip. Suddenly, I'm overwhelmed with emotion and I stop walking. His eyes widen. The feelings I held in since the moment I saw the heroes, realizing who they were, seeing Karen safe, and seeing their angry reactions, comes out in waves. The pieces I’m holding are crumbling. I didn't want to cry in front of Karen and I especially don't want to cry in front of my friends. The group stiffens when they catch sight of me.

The strange feelings I experienced, when I saw the pictures of my friends at the parties with girls, resurfaced when I saw my friends had secret superhero identities. It feels like I don’t know them enough for me to be able to truly call myself their friend. My insecurity of feeling undeserving of their friendship and like I don’t belong reveals itself. Not only are my friends out of my reach, but I also disappointed them, and that’s what hurts the most. 

The flustered boys are at a loss at what to do. They have never seen me cry, except for Butters who isn't here. Captain Diabetes has only ever seen me smiling in the hallways at school when we made eye contact. Usually, I can laugh things off and not take their jokes the wrong way. They once told me that they appreciated my tolerance and willingness to forgive them for their bad attitudes and behaviors.

"Why are you crying?" The Coon breaks the silence with obvious discomfort at my tears. They’re uncomfortable and on edge.

"I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at me." I’m scared of losing my friends for my stupidity and going behind their back.

"We're not mad at you.” Super Craig is first to reply. "Well not that much." Wonder Tweek flashes him a glare while squeezing your hand.

"You were being a dumbass." The Coon points out. "A girl...out alone on the streets at night...in the worst part of South Park...Seriously?"

"Don't ever do that again." Mysterion asserts. "You could have gotten yourself killed." I sniff, nodding at their scolding. Something horrible could have happened. Mosquito comes to my side and pats back in an attempt to soothe me.

"She gets it...stop rubbing it in.” He defends me.

"We just don't want anything bad to happen to you." Human Kite specifies. "What if you got seriously hurt?" Tupperware and Captain Diabetes murmur in agreement.

"You're not like us." Toolshed professes as I look at him."Y/N, we're only mad because you scared us."I process his words as I look at each off them. Their eyes are reassuring.

"Don't scare us like that again.” Mysterion finally smiles at me, a familiar friendly smile.

My friends care about me. They were angry because they care. I start to bawl which surprises them. My friends aren't just super heroes, they’re my one and only heroes. They save me with their friendship over and over. They saved me from feeling heartbroken over the girls at school and before I could get injured from those men. It was more than I could have hoped for from having friends. I cry, feeling thankful for having them in my life. I want to tell them, but for now, I just cry.


	11. New Mansion

I wasn't able to talk to the guys without crying, so they just walk me home in silence. Once I'm home, the exhaustion hits me and I drop my belongings to the floor, throwing myself on the couch to sleep. The morning rays wake me up. My eyes sting from crying so much the night before, then everything comes crashing back to me. My friends are superheroes. I would not have believed it if I did not see it with my own two eyes. I feel a mixture of pride for them being such amazing people and concern, because they are putting themselves in dangerous situations. I go upstairs to wash myself, feeling grateful my parents aren't going to be home til Monday, or they would worry themselves over my current state. The swelling of my smacked cheek went down and what remains is a light bruise. Nothing a little makeup can’t hide unless someone knew it's there.

Today is Saturday, also the day I'm going to visit Token's home for the first time. I’m excited but feeling awkward from last night. Stan is borrowing his dad’s car to drive Kyle, Cartman, Kenny, and I there at noon. I decide to skip breakfast, only drinking some juice, before heading outside to give myself some fresh air. I sport on some earmuffs, a long sleeved shirt of my favorite color, puffy vest, jeans, and comfortable walking shoes.

I decide to make a tiny snowbunny to distract myself from any thoughts. The pebbles in its eyes looks awful cute, and I leave after snapping a quick picture. Thinking of bunnies, I haven’t had a chance to tell Butters everything that happened. I don’t intend to spill secret identities, but he’s my bestie, and I want to tell him as much as I can without revealing people’s secrets.

I decide to take a stroll through a park. From under a bench, I see a puffy white tail swaying underneath it, that I almost didn’t notice because of the white snow. I get closer and recognize it’s a white cat. A very cute white cat. Unfortunately, it looks shaken and doesn't seem like an outdoor cat, since it's too well groomed, so it must be someone’s pet. The poor little kitty must be lost. I slowly approach it as the snow crunches beneath my shoes and the cat huddles in fear. The cat isn’t making it easy so I crawl behind the bench, not wanting to scare it. The cat lets out a cry once I grab them and I look to see that their front paw is bloody from a leg injury.

_'Poor kitty.'_

I rip off some of my shirt from my sleeve to make a temporary bandage for the cat. They struggle and I’m grateful they haven't scratched me, but they hiss from the pain, as I wrap the cloth around their leg. I don’t want it to get infected or bleed anymore than it already has. Hopefully, their owner is looking for them. I decide the best course of action would be to bring her to the only vet in town, so that their owner can find them, since it’s cold out.

I rush into the animal hospital where I inform the receptionist about the hurt creature I just found, currently in my arms. The helpful vet checks the pet into a room, and tells me a girl has been worried sick, trying to find her beloved family member. Once the receptionist calls to let the owner on the phone know, she tells me that the owner will be here soon, and they want to thank whoever found their pet in person. I feel a bit shy, sitting in the waiting room, because I didn’t plan on being thanked, I’m just happy the cat will be okay. That’s when I see a familiar Blond rushing in with who I believe to be her mother.

”Is Thumper here? Is he okay?” The blond teen anxiously questions.

”Yes, we are having him being treated in a room. He has a deep laceration on his front right leg and is shaking from the cold. Otherwise, we are lucky he was found by a passerby. She found Thumper under a park bench and ripped her shirt to bandage his wound. He just needs to have his injury cleaned and wrapped. He should be ready to take home soon, and healed in a week or two. The doctor will give you more details.” The mother and daughter due look relieved, and the mother notices me, as I try to leave as sneakily as possible. “There’s Thumper’s savior right there, Miss Y/N!” I awkwardly pause as I turn to face Bebe and her mother. Her mother smiles at me, thanking me, and Bebe just stares at me in disbelief.

”Bebe Sweety?” Her mother notices her usually talkative daughter is silent. Bebe looks at my face as if to ask me, ' _what the hell are you doing here'_ before she takes in my appearance. I have some dirt sticking to the knees of my jeans and my shirt has a tear from my sleeve. There is even a little hint of blood on my vest and her mouth gapes. “Sweety?”

”Oh uh...thanks...for finding my cat.” She struggles to say. If the receptionist and her mom weren’t here, I’m sure she would have yelled at me, or even pretended not to have seen me.

I shrug a 'you’re welcome' before smiling a polite goodbye to the other two. It was really hard to smile but I didn’t want to be in that awkward situation any longer.

_'Who would have thought that cute cat belongs to Bebe?'_

That Thumper was a real good boy, he didn’t scratch me once despite me being a stranger. I head back home, where I change into some new clothes before, being picked up. This time, I throw on a knitted long sleeve dress with thigh high socks and boots. I’m going to be in a car and in a mansion, so I doubt I will be out in the cold too long. A doorbell rings, indicating their arrival, so I double check if the make up on my face needs a touch up, before heading to the door.

Kyle’s green eyes greets me when I open the door and he mentions the car across from my door is Stan’s. I nod without a word and turn to look the door, before walking to the car, too nervous to look anyone in the eye, even when I’m inside. At the driver’s side is Stan, next to him is Cartman, and I’m sitting in between Kenny and Kyle, since Kyle politely opened the car door for me too enter first.

_"Gentleman..."_

I fumble with the seat belt, before thanking Stan for the ride, still not looking at anyone. Stan hasn’t driven yet, and when I look up, my eyes meets with Stan’s in the rear view mirror. He smiles at me from the mirror and I smile, looking away while blushing.

“Did you sleep okay?” Kyle asks me. I finally turn to him and he smiles once I do.

”Y-yeah, I knocked out right away,” I say, omitting the part where I was too exhausted to walk upstairs to my room.

”That’s good, all of us were worried, you haven’t checked your messages in group chat.” Kyle informs me.

”O-oh I forgot. I took a walk in the park this morning and haven’t checked my phone since yesterday.” Kyle nods, before Cartman twists from his seat to check me out.

”You look ugly,” he directs at me. I didn’t know what to expect from him today, but I didn’t expect that. “Not as ugly as last night, when you were crying though. You look better when you’re not crying.” He didn’t look like he is mocking me.

_'Is this his way of trying to make me feel better?'_

That's sweet but he could have worded it better. I let out a small laugh from his attempt, and he grins, before looking back to the road ahead. I glance to my side at Kenny, who appears to have been looking at me, and he looks away. I want to talk to him but it’s a little awkward with the others being able to eavesdrop. Kenny must’ve felt the same because he takes the initiative by moving strands of my hair, that have fallen on my face, obstructing his view.

”Mmmphh mphh." (Your eyes red) He’s close enough where I’m able to understand what he's saying.

”Yeah, the swelling went down a lot. I look terrible when I cry. Cartman is right.” I laugh dryly and Cartman snorts.

“Mmmphhh mph mphhh mphh.” (I’m glad you’re feeling better)

“Yeah...” I say, not knowing how to continue the conversation.

”Mmmph mphh mphh.” (You look good in that dress) “Mpphh mphh me?” (Is it for me?)

I slap his arm while laughing. Kenny is acting like his usual flirty self. I can tell he’s trying to make me feel better.

”And what if it is Ken Ken?” I tease. He lets out a small ‘woo hoo’ and tries to hug me, while Kyle pushes Kenny's head away from me. The ride consists of Kenny trying to place his hand on my thigh and Kyle slapping it away. It doesn't bother me, since he'sbeing funny with his exaggerated attempts, and he never pushes my personal boundaries. Stan's car gets checked in by Token's security guard, and from the car window, I can see he lives in a mother _censored_ mansion. It's humongous. 

"' _I live in a average size home_ ' my ass!" I quote Token with a grin.

"Wait til you go inside, sometimes, I don't want to touch anything." Kyle says.

"One vase is worth more than I will ever be." Kenny muffles.

"Never, you're priceless." I smile at him and he goes in for another hug which Kyle deflects. Token greets us at his door, already knowing we have arrived, after being notified by his security guard.

"I'm glad everyone made it!" Token smiles bigger when he sees me.

"Thanks for inviting us to your _average_ sized home Token!" I tease. Apparently, Nichole had to cancel hanging out with us because cheer needed to practice.

_'I swear it's like South Park Gods are conspiring against me to not be with that twin tail queen!'_

Token leads us to one of his entertainment rooms where everyone is situated. All eyes are on me when I notice Team Craig, Jimmy, and even Butters.

"Hi everyone." I say, too shy to look at them, while they greet me back. I head over to Butters who smiles at me. I don't know why but I feel super self conscious. I know the guys aren't angry at me, well they have every right to be a little mad, and I don't blame them. However, I'm embarrassed because I cried so hard last night. I usually cry by myself when I'm not feeling good, but I can't believe how weak I must've looked. Token has so many games in his entertainment room, like an arcade and it's huge, despite all the people inside. I pull Butters to play a racing game with side by side machines with actual steering wheels. After we play a tiebreaker with Butters winning, I demand a rematch which he happily obliges.

"Y/N?" Butters asks, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Yes Bunbun?"

"What's wrong?"

"H-huh?"

"I can tell something is wrong. Are you okay?" He looks at me with the game reflected in his eyes. I look at the scar adorning his left eye. 

"You know me too well," I laugh. "I'm okay, I just feel embarrassed."

"Why? Did the guys do something?" He turns to look at the guys, playing different games. Kyle and Stan are playing a guitar game, Kenny and Craig are playing air hockey, Clyde is tossing a basketball into a hoop machine, Tweek and Jimmy are playing a shooting game with amazing accuracy, and Token and Cartman are playing a card game. I shake my head.

"I did something stupid last night and made them mad, but we talked about it. I just...it's hard for me to look at them, since I cried." I laugh, but this seems to provoke Butters. I never seen him look so worked up, not since I told him how I was being bullied at my old school.

_'Oh no.._.'

"No wait- Butters, I made a mistake. Yesterday, I went to look for superheroes by myself. I know everyone told me not to, but I wanted to see them, and then some stuff happened. I found Karen and then some druggies came." 

"Did they hurt you?!" His eyes widens.

"No, the heroes came. I cried, because they were mad and I was scared, but I'm thankful they saved me." He shakes his head.

"I...I should've been there, I'm sorry Y/N."

"No, no, it wasn't a big deal. I'm okay. I just put myself in a scary situation. I should be the one apologizing, you warned me not to, but I still went out by myself at night. I'm sorry Butters."

He stares at me before sighing. "As long as you're okay." He smiles, petting my head. I blush at how nice it feels.

_'A bunny petting a human how strange-_ '

"Why are you too embarrassed to look at the guys though? They weren't there." He says, examining my reaction.

"Oh, uhm, they found out and got mad." I touch my hair where his hand was.

"That explains the group messages," he hums. I haven't checked our chat.

"Anyways, Token's house is so big," I smile, "I can't believe he has a whole arcade here. I want to play hide and seek, it's so big!"

"Yeah! That's a great idea, Y/N! The fellas and I used to play when we were kids!" He lifts himself out of the car machine to tell the guys. The guys gives him an entertained look when he suggests the game. "It'll be fun, fellas!" They agree, saying it would be fun, but it needed something.

_'A punishment or a reward?'_

They decide that the person who is **IT** , the seeker, gets to use a nerf gun on the people they find. The whole house is fair game except the basement, Token's parent's room, and the fourth floor. Token calls me over to pull straws to see who would be **IT**. 

"Aw. Goddammit!" Cartman shouts, until he sees Token bring out the Nerf gun, and he grins. He is **IT** this round. Once he turns to the wall and starts counting to one hundred, all the boys dash out the room. I'm last to leave the room, and I look left and right down the hall.

_'I don't even know the place!'_

I panic, running up the stairs to a random floor, dashing to the farthest room. The adrenaline makes this game so fun. The first door is the restroom so I choose the second room, which looks like a guest room.

"Ready or not, here I come!" Cartman yells from a floor below.

_'Under the bed? No... the large wardrobe?'_

I don't have time to decide because I could here Cartman stomping loudly up the stairs. I dash to the closet, throwing myself in and crouch. as I quietly close the door. I back up slowly as I don't want to be caught, the moment he opens the door, and instead of the wall, I hear a grunt.

_'O-oh my God, someone is already here!'_

I almost scream from reflex. The closet isn't large at all. Whoever is behind me is facing my back. I'm practically sitting in between this person’s legs. Whoever it is froze. I could feel their breathe on my neck. I'm an idiot. I barged into someone else hiding spot. They must be annoyed. Whoever it is, is nice enough not to push me off away. We weren't able to exchange any words because Cartman is now snickering into the room. He's loudly taunting anyone who was in hearing range _._

_'I think he might find us!'_

I cover my mouth to not breathe too loudly, pressing myself against a hard chest to my back.

"No one is dumb enough to hide in the closet..." He walks out. I guess he finds Clyde in the next room since Cartman yells, "Ahah!" and Clyde shrieks from possibly getting hit in a weird place by the Nerf gun. I'm still stuck with the person who slows down their breathing. The closet door swings open, blinding me.

"Got you! Nice, two for one!" Cartman starts shooting me and my closet partner, as I scream. Cartman lifts his eyebrow at us, spinning the gun while laughing. "You're out!" He leaves, reloading his gun. I pull my hand from the person's thigh, and I turn to look behind me, to see Stan scratching his head. I shout again, crawling away from him and apologizing to him profusely.

"Sorry for taking your spot Stan! I crushed you!" I blush, furiously. "Thanks for not pushing me away," I laugh.

"N-no, it's okay. I thought it was you. You smell good..."

I blush, standing up to go to the rest of the guys who were found. I could almost here Stan mumbling.

"Damn. I should've..." His face is a little red.

Cartman finds everyone in record time except for Jimmy. Jimmy wins by hiding against the ceiling, having used his walkers to scale two pillars upwards.

_'How did he even? I don't know.'_

I clap in awe of Jimmy who gives everyone a victory pose. Technically, Cartman didn't win, because he couldn't find Jimmy in the thirty minute time limit we set, so Jimmy gets to use the Nerf gun on him. Jimmy points at him while Cartman defends himself, pushing Stan forward. "Shoot Stan instead! I saw him and Y/N cuddling in a closet!" Everyone looks from Stan to me, and my face gets hot. Kyle, Craig, Clyde, Kenny, and Tweek look equally annoyed while Butters, Jimmy, and Token look amused.

"That's not what happened!" I say flustered, "we were just hiding!" Jimmy nods at me and shoots Cartman without any hesitation. Cartman throws himself to the ground from the one bullet while shouting dramatically.

The straws decide the next **IT** person is Token. Token knows the house the best so he's the worst person to hide from. The moment he starts counting, this time, I'm first out the door. I decide to go to the third floor. I run into a study room which is basically a whole library. My plan is if I do manage to hear Token, I can slowly walk behind another shelf. I mentally count up to ninety before I hear someone stumble into the room.

I crouch, peeking behind a shelf, so I can't see who it is. They pace around, before settling in front of my bookcase, not knowing I'm there. I can't help but giggle at the coincidence, and the person hears me because they shuffle to where I am at. The person that appears is none other than Craig. He gives me the middle finger which I happily return. I'm about to say something but he puts a finger to his lips, indicating for me not to say anything. We could hear running down the hall and I guess it's Token who passes by.

When I turn to face him, he puts his an arm against the bookcase over my head, trapping me between him and the bookshelf. I glance up at him looking confused before he opens his mouth.

"What happened with you and Stan in the closet?"

"I didn't know he was in there...and I ran to hide in there." I almost whisper. He stares into my eyes ,not breaking eye contact, before he steps back to release me. I guess my answer satisfied him. I'm blushing, unable to still my beating heart, as he lean his back against the shelf beside me. After a few moments we hear the door slowly open.

_'Is Token trying to sneak up on the people hiding?'_

Craig and I don't move while the footsteps get closer. I'm about to back away, before the footsteps rush to our shelf, and an orange figure emerges.

"Ken Ken!" I quietly gasp. He snickers, removing his hoodie, and stands next to me against the bookshelf. "What are you doing here?"

"I was following you, but apparently Craig was too," he laughs and Craig squints at him. "He got in here before me. I heard Token so I hid, until he was far enough, before coming here."

"Wow, you're good at stealth." I smile. "Why were you following me?"

"I wanted to know what happened between you and Stan."

I gasp, "n-nothing happened! Why does everyone keep asking?" Kenny tilts his head and looks at Craig. Suddenly, we hear footsteps out the door and Token slams the door open. I hold my breathe. Before I know it, he's at our corner and pulls the biggest smile.

"You're all out!" He pummels all of us with pellets while laughing like a madman. 

_'Token really likes to play this game!'_

I laugh, covering my face with my arms.


	12. New Seeker

Token manages to catch all of us within fifteen minutes. That's amazing. We don't choose the next seeker because Butters nominates himself. 

"Are you sure, it's not because you secretly want to pelt us all with bullets?" Cartman side eyes Butters who rubs his knuckles with a menacing smile. It’s like looking at a cunning bunny.

"No, not at all. This isn't for all the years you have all messed with me, I promise" Butters smiles. "But if I do find you...no mercy." Butters has a cute evil glint in his eye while peering at all the boys. Once Butters starts counting, I go to leave the room, but a hand pulls me back by the hand. I turn to see Clyde smiling at me as the boys rush to leave the room.

"Let's hide together," he whispers with his cute boyish smile. I nod, blushing from his forwardness. He tightens his grip on my hand, leading us to the empty hallway. The boys are long gone. On the second floor, we decide hiding behind one of Token's massive curtains in front of a balcony would do it. It seems like such an obvious place to hide, since the curtains are so tall, but may be one of the last places Butters would consider to look. The curtains are thick and dark so our shadows won’t appear from the sunlight. We have our backs facing the window and the glow of the sun makes Clyde shine even brighter. I always found his bright personality endearing, and right now, he’s literally glowing. I let out a small cough with my other hand.

"Umm...Clyde? You can let go of my hand now..." Clyde looks at me before looking at my hand and dramatically lets go.

"Ah...Sorry, I forgot." He quietly laughs. I wonder how long we stand there with the sun warming our necks and back. Clyde isn't usually quiet, but even when he is, I feel relaxed. . "Y/N..." he mumbles, "about you and Stan..."

_’This again?’_

I know exactly where this is going. "Actually, we just ran into each other in the closet. I didn't know he was in there."  
Clyde smiles, pumping his fist a little. I wonder why that made him so happy. I didn't get it but I'm happy for him.

"Y/N...I think you should read our messages from last night. We can see in the chat, you haven't read it." He tells me, scratching his cheek. He’s right, right now isn't a bad time, so I whip out my phone to read the messages that start from last night.

**Group Chat:**

**Chaotic Bun :** Golly. That episode was hilarious.

**Jimmi :** We should talk about tonight. It seems like Y/N knows who we all are,

except for Butters. 

_'Butters?'_

**Ninjew :** You must be shocked Y/N. We didn't mean to surprise you like that.

**RogueToken :** Scott is worried about you too.

’ _Captain Diabetes_?’

**StantheGreat :** Are you asleep?

**GrandWizardCartman :** Of course she is. She's weak sauce.

**Ninjew :** Whatever Fatty.

**GrandWizardCartman :** Jew.

**Ninjew :** We didn't mean to hide a part of our life from you.

**GrandWizardCartman :** It's why we patrol because dumb girls like Y/N.

**Chaotic Bun :** What are you fellas talking about? Did something happen?

**Kofi :** We're not mad Y/N so don't feel bad.

We want to avoid something like that happening again.

**Clydey :** Y/N!!!!!

T___________________T

[ _cry emote_ ]

**SpaceCraig :** Let's give her some space. If she wants to talk about it, we'll talk about it.

**RogueToken :** He's right. We'll see you tomorrow Y/N.

**Jimmi :** We'll play games at Token's gaming room.

**Clydey :** Let's have fun tomorrow and take our mind off everything, Y/N!

**Kenken :** Thanks for taking care of Karen, Y/N. It means a lot to me.

You mean a lot to me.

**StantheGreat :** She means a lot to all of us.

**Kofi :** It's true Y/N.

**Chaotic Bun :** FELLLAAAAAAASSS?!!!!

I smile and look at Clyde who smiles back at me. I jump to hug him hard, almost knocking him over, and getting us tangled in the curtain. We start laughing, and then Butters pulls back the curtain, and starts attacking Clyde with the Nerf gun. Butters somehow manages to avoid shooting me with perfect accuracy, while only targeting Clyde with bullets, and laughing like a crazy bunny. 

“Out!" Butters yells and skips away. I giggle at Clyde before going to follow Butters. 

_‘I want to watch him attack everyone too...hehe...’_

"Sniper Bun Bun, go get em!" I cheer, skipping behind him. Butters manages to find everyone faster than Cartman, but not as fast as Token. He is BunBun gone mad, attacking everyone except for me. He really shows them no mercy. Jimmy is last to be found again, because he went back to the first original room that Butters was counting in, like a hide and seek strategist, coloring all of us impressed.

When everyone is in the room laughing about the game, I can't help but feel absolutely silly for being embarrassed, and not being able to look at my friends all day. My friends don't care that I cried looking weak, it was me just me. I am the one who couldn't forgive myself for yesterday and I was feeling sorry for myself. I sneak up behind Kenny, giving him a big back hug. The guys watch me in astonishment.

"Y/N?" Kenny blushes once he knows it's me. I give him no time to react as I run to Jimmy, giving him a hug.

"I like you guys so much!" I shout, skipping to Craig who looks absolutely baffled and I squeeze his chest tight. Then I hug Tweek around his neck who smiles, reciprocating the hug. "I'm going to give everyone a hug, don't fight it!" I proclaim, grabbing a blushing Cartman who tries to act angry yet is barely resisting. I wrap my arms around Kyle, almost spinning him then letting go, so I can pull in a chuckling Stan in for a big hug. I pull Token and Butters in for a group hug. Everyone is left smiling at my cheesiness, yet slightly confused.

"Sorry, I felt really awkward all day...I was embarrassed for looking like a crybaby yesterday and causing trouble..." I say looking at all their faces, "I've never been saved by anyone before...and all my friends caring about me...it's overwhelming." I blush. "You all don't understand how much you all mean to me." I play with my fingers. "I read the group chat...thanks...for giving me time to figure it out." They look relieved.

"Okay, okay, stop with the sappy emotional garbage,” Cartman feigns annoyance. "Chicks pfft..."

"We don't blame you for how you acted." Kyle reassures me.

"Someday, we'll tell you everything." Stan proposes.

"We can tell her now!" Clyde happily suggests, "Butter-"

Butters shoots him with the Nerf gun, effectively silencing him.

"G-g-glad you're l-looking at us a-again, Y/N,” Jimmy says and I make a mental note to give Scott a hug as well for being worried.

"We don't think you're weak. You always try to smile for us." Tweek smiles at me.

"You protected a little girl and tried to sacrifice yourself." Kenny says "...You're pretty badass."

"As for crybabies...you're not alone." Craig says, pointing his thumb to Clyde. 

"Hey!" He shouts as we laugh.

We decide to have lunch where they proceed to tell me a wild story, that I refuse to believe despite hearing crazier ones.

"Butters was a pimp?" I almost fling my food, off of the fork, across the dinner table. Token ordered takeout from the local Shitty-City Wok Chinese restaurant and is treating us like the ‘ _sugar daddy’_ he is. "No way, you're lying!"

"No really, he even tried to make Wendy become one of his bottom bitches!" Stan tells me, laughing along with the rest of the table.

"BunBun?! Pimp BunBun?!" I look at him incredulously. "Lies!"

"Oh boy...fellas, why did you tell her? I was only pimping hugs and kisses,” he defends himself as I slump to my seat in shock. "I made wads of dough, but in the end, true love is what matters." He looks at me as if he had an epiphany that day. I have a new idea.

"So...we are Team Bottom Bitches? Team Bunbun Bitches! I...wow, it’s perfect. I need that as a shirt.” I tell myself. “Hey Butters, do you want to wear matching t-shirts? It’ll be like those matching couples t-shirts.” I say and Clyde spits out his drink to his left where Stan is.

”Dude, really?” A grossed out Stan mutters, wiping the drink off, and Clyde sputters an apology.

”Butters, am I your top bitch?” I feign ignorance to the fiasco.

“You know it Bitch,” Butters sends me a wink.

“Thanks, Pimp Bunny.” 

Clyde spits out his drink to the right on an annoyed Craig.

”Clyde...” Craig wipes his jacket with a napkin and a disappointed expression. The rest of the gang almost chokes on their food from laughter.

They tell me about when they started bands and played music together. They are so unfairly talented. They can either sing, dance, play an instrument, or all the above.

’ _The guys in a b-b-b-boy band?’_

I can’t help but think that they would all be popular with all the fangirls including me. The guys can't break me out of my intense daydream, even when they call my name over and over.


	13. New Crown

"I can't breathe! Stop, stop!" I cry from laughing.

" **I'm gonna fingerbang bang you into my life, Girl you like to fingerbang and it's all right**!” Cartman, Kyle, Stan, and Kenny sing as one. The song is surprisingly catchy.

"Fingerbang! Bang! Bang!" I fan chant with tears in my eyes. I shoot all of them with my finger guns! trying to gasp for breath. 

‘ _I- can't. This is too good to be true! The boys made a boy band and they sang a song called Finger Bang. I... what?’_

"MMmmmphh mmph mmpphh." (I would do more than just finger bang) Kenny winks at me.

"Please no,” I wave my hand, holding my stomach. After they kill me with laughter, I ask everyone if I can have a group picture. I want to upload my memories. I put my cell in selfie mode with all the guys squeezing, behind me and next to me, for the picture. It comes out looking really goofy, and I love it, uploading it to Coonstagram with the tag # _Friends4ever_.

Team Stan and I get driven back home by Stan. The visit to Token's house was a blast. "Next time, can I visit your home?" I look at Kenny as he looks out the window. He looks at me from the reflection in surprise.

"MMmmmphh?" (Are you sure?)

I nod.

"Why do you want to go to Kinny's? He's poor, it's a dump. There's only rats, garbage, and homeless people there." Cartman interrupts. 

"Well, I've gone to everyone's house except his, and he's been to mines.” I reason, "I also want to see Karen again, she's so cute!" Kenny smiles at the mention of her name.

"Mmmphh mmphhh mmmphhhh.” (She loves you, she won't stop talking about you) "Mmmpohhh mppphhhh” (She calls you big sissy)

"Yes, she's my widdle cute sissy. I'm going to steal her." I poke his cheeks, peeking from his hoodie.

"Mmmmph mmhph." (You can come tomorrow, I'll pick you up) 

"Really? Yay! Karen..."

"Lamee. We'll come too then," Cartman whines.

"Nuh uh mmmph." (No way, it's a date)

"It's not a date." I interject.

"Yuh huh. Mmmphh mphhh" (Yeah huh, I'll pick you up at noon)

"I guess it is a date...It's a play date with me and Karen.”

"Mmmphhh!"

When I get home, I make sure to clean up and force myself to do all of my homework. That way, I won’t need to worry about it and can spend the whole day with Karen. I decide to wait before I talk to the boys about their superhero business. The hurt from that day is still a little too fresh for me. I fall asleep, after giving my parents a good night call, and dream of tangerines and oranges.

The next morning, I decide to hit the grocery store for some snacks and a new toy. I adore Karen and I feel like I just want to spoil her. I have a good amount of savings for gifts for my new friends, Karen, and coffee. I'm happy to spend it on someone other than me now. My parents allow me access to one of their credit cards, but I only use it for meals when they aren't home. The luxury stuff is from my own money saved up from presents from them. I see a cute cat plushie with a bow that I think she might like so I buy it without a second thought. Once I buy more than I can barely hold, I carry it to my house.

I decide to wear a coat with a faux fur lining, an orange bow in my hair, and jeans.

 _‘Why am I wearing a bow with orange?’_

I saw it when I was putting on make up so I wore it on impulse. When Kenny rings the doorbell, I push him into my kitchen to help me carry the things to his home. His eyes pops out and he looks at me in question.

"I just want to help one of my good friends and his little sister." I smile. "You can just owe me with your undying gratitude." I laugh with a fake cunning expression. Kenny takes off his hoodie and runs a hand through his blond hair.

_‘Seriously, why is he so good looking?’_

"Y/N...you don't have to do this."

"You're right. I don't have to but I want to."

"You do so much for me already. The lunches you make for me, I can't repay you."

"You can just owe me one." I grin at him and he cocks his eyebrow at me. "Just let me fawn over my little sissy," I squeal. He chuckles with a shrug.

"If that's all it takes Y/N," he gives me a smile, warm enough to melt my heart. "I can just make it up to you when we're married." He wiggles his eyebrows.

"Oh my goodness, do you ever stop?" I laugh. We grab the things in bags that make them easier to carry. Kenny is really strong so he offers for me to only carry the plush gift I bought for Karen. Kenny doesn’t live too far from me and walking next to him makes me happy. When he isn’t flirting with me, I always feel like he had an aura like he is protecting me. I don’t fail to notice, since I have never been cared for to that extent, from a friend before. He makes sure to walk between the road and I. He even puts a hand in front of me to inform me of uneven ground so I didn’t trip.

_’What did I expect from my favorite super hero?’_

I blush, thinking about it. Kenny always acts like a pervert and he brings porno magazines to school, yet he’s serious when he's Mysterion and he cares so much for his little sister. The gap makes me swoon.

"Did you already fall for me Y/N?" Right now, he's his usual carefree self. "You're wearing my color,” his eyes trail to my hair bow.

"No. I just, I wanted to wear this today." I fiddle with the bow between my fingers.

"Well...it looks good on you. Well, you always look good but I like seeing my color on you..." he hums.

"Does that every work on girls? Your flirting, I mean.”

"Not on the ones that matter, _you_.”

"Whatever." I roll my eyes, smiling. The area closer to his home is like the remains of a failed gentrified project, and is surrounded by junk and woods. I feel a stab in my heart for Kenny and his family especially Karen. She shouldn't have to live like this. Kenny opens the door to his house and checks around.

"I guess my parents aren't home. They left Karen home alone again..." He sighs in disappointment. I must've given him a sad look because he starts to explain. "My parents aren't perfect...but neither am I. They drink, do drugs, fight, spend money on dumb stuff, whatever you name it...but I don't hate them."

"Thanks for telling me. I know you didn't have to."

"I don’t have to but I want to." He says as I smile at the familiar words I spoke to him earlier today. "Karen! Y/N is with me!" We could hear small rapid footsteps, rushing to us from the room next door.

"Big bwother! Big sissy!" She runs hugging me and runs to Kenny who puts the bags down, brushing her hair with his hands. "I'm so happy you came big sissy! What is all this?" She peeks at the bags on the floor and the one behind my back.

"I got you a gift!" I say, pushing the bag into her hand. She blushes in awe and opens the bag, before squealing and grabbing the cat plushie.

"She's so cute! Is she really for me?" Kenny smiles at me, full of gratitude, as if he is the one who received a gift. I nod at her as Karen hugs her and spins.

"She brought us food." Kenny says.

"W-wow Y/N! You're like an Angel!" she says earnestly, making me blush.

"I-it was nothing, I just care about you and Kenny." She looks at you and Kenny.

"A-are you and big bwother dating?" She looks absolutely delighted, and jumps up and down.

"O-oh no, he's just my friend!" I deny, waving my hands in front of me.

"For now..." Kenny grins and I roll my eyes once more. We bring the stuff to the kitchen where Kenny makes a sandwich for Karen. As they eat, I notice Karen's clothes has holes and tears at the rims.

"Little sissy...I have a lot of clothes that don't fit me anymore...would you like to have them? They would be hand me downs, but they are in good condition." Karen beams at me with crumbs on her cheeks.

"I love your fashion! Yes pwease!" She kicks her legs under the table in excitement.

"Great!” I clap, “you're going to look even cuter in them than me!" Karen giggles at my statement. Kenny shows me his room while Karen plays with her plush in her room. I mouth a quiet gasp at his living conditions. Kenny sends me a knowing look as if expecting this reaction.

"Ken Ken! You idiot! I can see your porno mags under your bed! You need to hide those properly so Karen can't see them." I send him a glare, pushing the magazine properly out of sight. He stands at the doorway stunned. His room is falling apart with stains on the walls, rat poison littered on the floor, and drawings in crayon from him and Karen. I only guess it was him because some of those drawings were childish images of sexy ladies and penises drawn a long time ago. I'm saddened by the state my friend and his sister are subjected to live in, but they are doing the best they could with what they have. 

“I admire you two, I don't know if I would be as strong as you living like you do. Not that you had a choice...I'm happy you have each other." I smile to myself. Despite their poverty, Kenny never begs us for anything and Karen gives the brightest smiles. 

"Thanks." He says simply. "Let's get out of here,” he pulls by my closest hand.

"To where?" 

"Penniless entertainment." He grins at me. He calls for Karen and we head out the door. He stays silent about where we are going, and I don't mind since Karen seems to know. We walk into the unknown woods and Kenny leads us through a maze, jumping over fallen tree logs, rocky areas, and tiny streams. It seems to be getting less cold somehow, with there not as much ice and frozen woods, unlike the entrance. Karen picks up a stick, poking Kenny who gently smiles at her.That smile would knock out any girl if he looked at them like that.

Kenny stops ahead of us between two trees, and turns to let us know we are here. I gasp a little too loudly. The clearing is a spacious area of assorted flowers with barely any snow or ice. It’s like a little hidden spring in a snowy oasis.

_’How?’_

Karen runs through the flower field hill, calling me to join her and I skip out after her. The flower field spreads from the hills to the trees. I feel like I would see a fairy any moment. We run around and I stop to smell different flowers. Kenny goes off to sight see the flowers at a distance. The wind blows his angelic blond hair. He sends me a smile, when he catches me staring, but I feign staring elsewhere.

“Ken...” I walk up the hull to him as he enjoys the shade under a flourishing tree. “Thanks for bringing me here. It’s beautiful...I’ve never seen a place like this at South Park.”

”I like to adventure a lot, so when I find treasure like this, I have to share it to the girls that matter.” I smiling at his words. “By the way, I’ve only brought you and Karen here.” I playfully push him.

”Geez.” I blush, while he chuckles and looks up at the tree.

”Someday, I want to be able to support myself and Karen, financially.”

”That’s admirable. I know you will do it.”

"I would do anything to put food on the table for her...without becoming a criminal...since I’m not fully a piece of shit.”

“You’re not a piece of shit. Not all the time.” I joke. “I wouldn't trade you or any my friends for all the money in the world. I don’t need it.”

"People who say they don't need money, are those who already have it."

"Fair...that’s true. We all need money, but you and our friends are priceless to me. Material stuff I can do without, if it means I can always be friends with all of you." 

"Are we worth that much to you?"

"Yes."

"You...really like all of us that much, huh?" He bends down, looking up at my face with his hands behind his back.

"Since day one." I confess.

"We feel that way towards you too."

"No way," I back up blushing.

"Why do you think we don't?" He steps forward.

"I just moved here only a month ago.”

"The amount of time doesn't matter. What about your other friends. Y'know the one in ( _your former home_ )?" He asks, “are they only more important because you knew them longer?”

"The amount of time doesn't matter." I throw back his words to him, not wanting to say more. "It's who that matters." He places a flower crown on my head that he had hidden behind his back. I blush at the gesture. “What’s this for?” I reach for the flowers on my head.

”A crown for the Princess.” He backs up while smiling. 

_‘Is it because he has a little sister?’_

He knows how to make me feel like a princess _._

_‘Oh wait, wasn't he also a princess?’_

I giggle to myself, wishing the guys could show me pictures from their fantasy game from their younger days.

“Thank you, Princess Kenny.”

”That’s Knight Kenny for you.” He plops on the grass, throwing his hands behind his head as he looks up at the sky.

”You’re a knight now?” I sit next to his orange figure.

”I would rather fight for you than wear a dress with you.”

”Why not both?”

”That’s not a bad idea. We can be gay.” He imagines.

”Whatever Sir Ken Ken.”

Karen, an actual cutie princess, runs up to us, plopping next to Kenny and slides a flower behind his ear.

"Y/N, you look like a pretty bride,” she giggles. “Big brother, you should marry her so she can be my real big sissy.”

 _‘Honestly, who can say no to Karen?’_

I giggle with her innocence as Kenny smiles, closing his eyes.

”That’s not a bad idea.” He whispers, under the tree while the rays of sunshine dance all around us. We sit quietly, enjoying the peaceful scenery of wild flowers fluttering in the wind.

_‘Me, a bride?...I never thought about it. Romance is not something I can wish for after all since ‘they’ don’t love me. Only Butters knows...how unlovable I really am.'_


	14. New Prank

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cartman is romanticized in this fic, but a person like him irl is bleh.

Once I get to school with the guys, the first thing I do is look for Scott.He's a sweet student whom I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting of. I leave in a good mood and manage to evade some of the mean girls. I feel a slight twist in my stomach when I see them. I'm not exactly immune to their glares and malicious actions. I only pretend to be in front of everyone. My eyes wander onto a purple beret and I see Wendy, Bebe, and my lost angels. I walk as far away from them as possible in the hallway, hoping they don't notice me but Wendy manages to glide before me. My lost angels look away as Wendy rolls her eyes.

"My morning is ruined thanks to the garbage they let into this school" She says in disgust. "Right girls?" She looks to the girls for reinforcement, but the angels start a conversation among themselves, while Bebe looks at me in contemplation. "Bebe?" She elbows Bebe who snaps out of her daze and nods, looking away from me. I wonder how Thumper is. Bebe isn't egging me on with Wendy like she usually does for some reason.

"Good morning to you too," I reply instead of ignoring her. It's only Monday and I feel strangely confident. Honestl,y I think this confidence stems from the boys. I pick up a lot from when they roast each other.

"Did you have fun being the school slut yet? We saw you hung out at Token's during the sausage party."

"Sorry I didn't realize there was sausage there, as I don't have any experience stuffing them into my face, like some people." 

_'What the heck did I just say?'_

"Shut your trap ,Y/N. They're only your friend because they're fuck boys. Once they are done with you, you'll feel sorry."

"I already feel sorry...for _you_."

' _How did she manage to lose them as the great friends that they are?'_

The blame can't be all on them. Friendship is a mutual relationship.

"And how did you know I was at Token's? Cyber stalking me now?" I accuse.

"Nichole told us when we asked. You better watch you're back Y/N and I'll warn you one last time. Keep your distance from Stan."

"Why are you so obsessed with Stan? You have a boyfriend."

"Even my leftovers is too good to be around trash like you. Know your place."

"Know my place? I said you were a Queen before but not literally!"

"Hey ladies! What's with the cat fight before class?" Clyde slides by my side, putting his elbow on my shoulder. "Hey Y/N."

Bebe snaps out of her funk. "Look at you, acting like a lady's man. What happened to the Clyde that constantly kissed my ass?" Clyde ignores her which only makes her angrier. She shoots a glare at him, before grabbing Wendy's arm to leave. For a split second, he drops her glare when she glances at me. I wonder if that was my imagination.

"What's up?" Token and the reinforcements, Tweek and Craig, are standing behind the girls with annoyed expressions. The angels take this as their cue to disperse, as Wendy passes by me, making sure to bump into me.

"D-did they do anything to you Y/N?" Tweek hovers his hand over me, making sure I'm not hurt.

"No, I'm okay Tweeki-khins." I smile as he tilts his head at the new nickname. He twitches before smiling.

"Those girls sure are chatty so early in the morning," Craig scowls in their direction before yawning.

"Actually, I heard Y/N sassing Wendy, it was pretty great." Clyde chuckles. "I liked seeing that new side of you, Y/N. I'm going to tell everyone at lunch what I heard." He sends me a proud smile.

"I was surprised myself. I think I got it from being around all you." I scratch my arm, feeling the queasy from the aftershock of confronting girls that dislike me.

"We should head to class, the bell is going to ring in a minute," Token warns us. I missed my chance to see Scott. Maybe, I'll have better luck at lunch.

Class ends up being a riot until Cartman starts a presentation on why ' _daywalkers',_ such as Kyle, continue to be an enigma to our human society. I look to the teacher to stop his hate rant, but the teacher is more interested in filing their nails. Kyle looks irritated, but only shouts at him to remind him, that Cartman is part Ginger from his dad's side. This is the first time I have heard anything about Cartman's dad since he never brings him up. Cartman defends himself that the Ginger side of him is nonexistent, since it has been cancelled out by his cool Denver Broncos blood, coursing through his veins. Kyle facepalms, not wanting to feed into Cartman's delusions, but not before calling him a 'stupid dumbass'.

Stan whispers to me that this happens now and then. Cartman feels the need to rip on Kyle for either being a Jew, Ginger, from Jersey, or anything he can associate with Kyle.

_'Poor Kyle...'_ Then I get an idea.

As we're walking to our next class for next period, I tell Kyle how being a daywalker is probably one of the coolest things I've ever heard of. He's like a vampire but cooler. Kyle notices my scheme, when he sees me wink at him, as I motion towards Cartman who is clenching his teeth.

"Y/N, how can you think being a Goddamn Ginger is kewl?" Cartman spits.

"Why isn't he cool? His hair is so pretty and Gingers are a small part of the population. Men like him are rare! And according to your presentation, he has a lot of power over people. Fortunately, Kyle isn't like that...he uses his powers for good instead of evil. He's like an main character in a story... and he knows Hebrew? A rare boy and skilled? Girls love that."

Kyle blushes from my words.

"Gingers have no soul!" He erupts.

"How can you say that? I heard you fed a boy his parents in chili! How is that not soulless? You're probably the most soulless one out of all of us, Cartman." I say, recalling some stories I heard about his youth. I don't fully believe them, but his reaction tells me it's most likely true.

' _Unbelievable_...'

"Listen here. Y/N!" He grabs the collar of my shirt as Kenny and Kyle react by grabbing him. He shakes them off. "Don't make me mad or you'll regret it." He stomps to our next class as I frown, fixing my collar.

"Don't take it to heart, Y/N, he can be an asshole, but it wears off once we give him food." Kyle tells me as he sends a dirty look to Cartman's back. When we get to class, a fuming Cartman is already in his seat. I make a note to buy him a double dew at lunch to quell some of that anger. I didn't mean to make him mad, even if I didn't do anything wrong, but I really don't like having a friend be mad at me. Team Craig notices Cartman shooting daggers at me, and they warn me to be careful in case he is plotting something. I start to feel a little uneasy.

_'Would he really do something to me in anger even if I am his friend?'_

Once lunch starts, Cartman is nowhere to be seen. I sit with the boys at the table, checking to see if anyone knows where he is. They tell me not to worry about him as I give Kenny his lunch. Clyde starts the conversation about me sassing Wendy and the guys look impressed. I feel a vibrate as my phone shows me a text message from him.

Cartman: Come to Class 3b. I need to talk to you alone.

Me: Be there soon.

I tell the boys I'll be right back.

I clench the soda can in my hands before opening the door, "Cart-" I hear a rustling from above.

_**Splash** _

I fall down, as whatever it is, covers me in a thick consistency. I duck my head so it is only gets on my hair and shirt. I open my eyes to find myself covered in paint. My stomach turns upside down. This has happened before.

_I can hear the laughter._

_The laughter of my 'friends'._

_Paint is sticking uncomfortably to my hair and skin._

_They crowd around me, pointing and laughing._

Cartman laughs at me from the side of the door, wiping a fake tear from his eyes. "Oh man. Y/N, I didn't think you were stupid enough to fall for this prank, but you literally fell for it!" He points at me. "Don't make me mad again." He stops laughing when he notices how quiet I am. "That's what you get for defending Kahl...Y/N?" He freezes when he sees the color draining from my face. "It's not that big of a deal, you can just wash off the paint in the locker room showers." He barks.

I can barely hear what he is saying though, over the laughter I hear from my memory. I drop the can of soda and rush out the door as it rolls onto the ground. It feels like any student that happens to see me in the hallway is laughing at me.

_'Are they laughing at me?'_

I rush into the locker room to wash off the gunk in my hair. It's thick so it only splashed all over my hair, parts of my shirt, and shoulders. My pants has a few splotches. I throw my clothes onto the ground and turn on the shower.

"Y/N?"

I turn in the direction of the voice feeling startled.

"Y/N, it's me, Nichole. Are you okay? What happened? I saw you running in the hallway. Who did this to you?"

"Nichole..."

"Was it the girls?"

"The girls? No...it was Cartman..." I mumble out his name, feeling bitterness.

"Cartman did that? I'm sorry. I thought the girls finally...Anyways, do you need help?"

"I-thank you, Nichole. Can you get me my spare shirt in my gym locker and a towel?"

She leaves after I gives her my information, and grabs my things off the floor without me asking. When she returns, she hands me a towel without looking at me.

"Thanks Nichole. I wish we shared a class together. You're pretty and nice. You and Token are such a good match."

She giggles a 'thank you', from the other direction she is facing. "Token talks about you, but so do the girls...I was worried they did something to you."

"They don't do too much to me. They only glare at me or bump into me and stuff. Just petty things."

"I don't know...it seems like they're planning something. Just be careful, Y/N. I don't know much because they don't talk about you to me. Red and Heidi seem worried. They said the girls are plotting something. I'm sorry that for not being able to help." Her shoulders drop from her helplessness.

"No...thank you for warning me. Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll manage. You're kind to worry about me." I say, trying to soothe her.

_'Whatever they plan to do, can't be worse than what I have already experienced before...right?_

"You're strong, Y/N. I'm happy Token is friends with you. He says you really brought the guys together."

"Really? I didn't do anything." I say, drying myself off with the towel.

"He also said you were a little oblivious." She giggles as I fake gasp. "I think you do more than you know."

"What were they like before I came?" I ask the question that's been bugging me.

"The guys used to have these...over the top, stupid, competitive rivalries. Even Token acted like an idiot when he was around them. Some girls are unhappy, because you seem to have a lot of influence over the guys since they're acting out less."

"I think they were always like that. I just have good timing." I finish up dressing and Nichole turns to face me.

"They always hang around you, peacefully, even though they were at each other's throat half the time." She reminisces. "I can't help but think that's why the girls don't like you. You brought out the best in them and none of them could do that. Now that the guys are acting more mature, the girls have been trying to get their attention, but the guys won't even give them time of day."

"Nichole..." My eyes tear up. "You think so highly of me."

"No, I think you think too low of yourself." She smiles brightly _._

_'Ugh Queen. All hail Nichole!'_

"Well, I don't think I did anything since Cartman pulled this prank on me."

"I don't know the specifics, but he'll apologize to you. I have a feeling." Her majestic smile shines at me and I pray to the South Park Gods for blessing me with her grace.

I arrive late to class since lunch ended. The teacher gives me a light scolding, but allows me to sit down with no consequences, next to the only seat available by Kyle. The boys send me a curious look at my appearance since my hair is still damp. I don't look at Cartman. A folded piece of paper gets tossed to my desk and I see the not is from Kyle.

Kyle: Where were you during lunch? And why is your hair wet?

I reply by writing underneath it.

Me: Cartman pulled a mean joke on me.

I toss the note to his desk.

He scribbles on it and tosses it back.

Kyle: What? What did he do?!

I decide not to hide what happened. I write down my message and toss it back to him, when the teacher isn't looking.

Me: He spilled paint on me. 

He writes back.

Kyle: That asshole! 

Me: Yep. 

Kyle shoots daggers to Cartman who is trying to get my attention, but I ignore him. When classroom is over and the teacher steps out, the guys crowd my desk, asking me the same question. Kyle answers for me.

"He what?" Butters is worked up. "Are you okay, Y/N?" He places his hands on my shoulders, searching my expression.

I give him a weak smile, "I'm okay." Cartman gets up and heads to my desk, but the guys block his path from me.

"What the hell? I need to talk to her." Cartman scowls.

"Whatever you want to say, you can do it with us here." Craig growls.

"I don't need to say anything to you. I want to talk to her alone."

"Why? S-so you can spill m-more paint on her, GAH!" Tweek shouts in frustration. Cartman grumbles and walks off, taking out his phone.

"He can't even apologize." Kyle sighs before looking at me with worry.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Stan asks me. I lift my eyes from my desk before giving them a nod. They leave it at that and we head to our last class.

While we walk, I let Token know how his girlfriend helped me out and how amazing she is. I catch myself fangirling.

Token gives me a cocky grin saying, "why do you think we're together?" Cartman is in class before us, but he doesn't acknowledge us when we enter. Clyde and Kenny joke around in class, bringing up my mood with their antics, and by the end of class, I'm smiling again.

I start to walk home with Butters and Team Stan, except with Cartman. Cartman happens to be waiting, by the street with his mom, for some reason. When he notices us walking in their direction, he rushes in front of me, but the boys walk ahead of me in guard mode.

"Mmmph Mff?" (What do you want?) Kenny asks.

Cartman throws something over the boys and I barely catch it in my hands. It's a small bouquet of flowers.

_'Huh?'_

I look at the flowers before I look up at Cartman. He's standing in front of me now while the others are distracted from shock.

_'What's with the flowers?'_ seems to be what their faces is asking.

"I'm apologizing..." he mumbles with me barely hearing him. "My mom said the best way to say sorry is to give girls flowers." He pouts. This is more than I could have asked for coming from Cartman. I'm still in disbelief as I look up at Cartman and down to the flowers in my hand.

"They're...beautiful...thank you?" I say, picking at a petal.

"My mom got it for me when I asked her to so...don't get all weird on me." He says, ignoring the boys next to us.

"It's the thought that counts." I smile at his mom approaching us.

“Sweety...picking on girls you have a crush on is something you do when you're a child but you’re older now. You need to treat girls more delicately or she’ll run away from you, sweetheart.” Liane lightly scolds him. He frowns and the guys muffle their laughs.

”Mawm, I don’t have a crush on Y/N.”

”Whatever you say Sweetums.”

“Yeah, he doesn't like me.” I laugh while everyone glances at Cartman growing red from frustration. “I just annoy him."

His mom opens her mouth, "actually, he-"

Cartman pushes his mom away yelling, 'mawwmm,' to cover what she's trying to communicate to me. I smile as he boards the car and I can see him holding a blue splattered can of double dew. I smile at the flowers before I start to feel like I'm forgetting something. I forgot to see Scott today.


	15. New Plans

Butters asked me out on a date for this Saturday and I said yes.

_'Okay it’s not a date.'_

Butters knows how I feel about romance and he said I needed some alone time with just us, Team Bestie. The boys were teasing him a little too much at lunch and he let out a brag that he was going on a date with me, and they couldn't come, which I didn’t deny. I’m not sure why that struck a chord with everyone but even Jimmy had something to say about that. It was weird how they were trying to get me not to hang out with my bestie so I just told them not to bother Team BunBun’s date. I was just happy that I managed to track down Scott Malkinson that day.

**Flashback:**

"H-hey Scott." I greet, jogging up to him.

"Hi Y/N! This is the first time we've properly talked to each other." He smiles. It is also the first time I notice that he has cute freckles, a cute smile, and a cute lisp.

"Yeah..I wanted to apologize for the other day. I know I reacted poorly. Thank you for worrying about me and for saving me."

"I was worried. I'm glad you're okay and it's nothing to apologize for. You had a rough night. If you're ever in trouble, I don't mind saving you again." His lisp makes me swoon once more.

"Hug?" I open my arms, inviting him. He smiles and steps in for a hug.

"Thanks Scott." I repeat when we pull away.

"Don't be a stranger, Y/N. See you later."

**End of Flashback**

That was yesterday and right now I’m pouting at Kenny, as he shamelessly reads a porno magazine near me at the lunch table.

”Mmph?” He sends me a questioning look.

”Kenny, you perv...are those the kind of girls you like?” I point to the cover of the woman with huge breasts and thick curves. He nods without hesitation.

“Mmmph mmmph.” (Why? Are you jealous?) He sounds happy.

”No, I just think she’s really pretty.” I confess. I do think she’s pretty. "But Kenny! There is a time and place..." I scold him.

"And to think she thought you were Prince Charming." Butters sneaks up on our conversation, spilling my inner thoughts.

"B-Bun Bun! That was between you and me!" I shake him as he walks by, finding a seat. Kenny takes his hoodie off just to show me his grin. His super handsome grin. I decide to ignore them and focus my attention to the coffee smelling Prince. Tweek has his buttons done erratically. I slide my fingers over his shirt, like the creep I might be, and unbutton them. Tweek slightly jumps before relaxing to my touch as I redo them.

"Y-Y/N, Tweek isn't a child you know." Clyde kindly informs me out of the goodness of his heart.

_'Don't button-block me, Clyde!'_

"Who says she t-treats me like a child?" Tweek looks at Clyde with a smug expression. "Isn't this more like a lover?" Clyde eyes bug out at his response as well as my own.

"Tweeki-khins?!" I gasp.

"Maybe I should switch to button shirts..." Clyde murmurs.

"She likes any excuse to touch Tweek, right Y/N?" Butter continues exposing me from the end of the table.

"Thank you for telling them one of my deepest darkest secrets, Bun Bun." I exaggerate, now looking away from Tweek. Butters has been teasing me a lot lately. I feel like I give him to much ammunition since he knows too much. I squint my eyes at him and he flashes me an innocent smile.

_'Sometimes I think he's like an evil mastermind...until he shows me that bunny expression.'_

"Craig, you dropped something under the table." I tell him, noticing how quiet he is since he's sitting across from me. He looks under the table and sees me throwing him the middle finger from beneath the table. He shoots me one back with a big grin on his face. "How's my baby Stripe?"

" _My_ baby Stripe is fine, thanks. He's eating the snacks you bought for him." He shows me a picture of Stripe on his phone which is also his screensaver. That's adorable.

"Y/N got your pet snacks too? She gave me snacks to give Sparky. He loves them." Stan shows me the picture of his fluffy old dog with a bone shaped treat in his mouth. I coo at the picture.

"She gave my dog Rex some snacks too." Clyde brags. "You can come anytime and feed him yourself, Y/N, he misses you!"

"Y-you sure like a-animals GEH a lot Y/N." Tweek says.

"Just the cute ones." I declare.

"I have a pet Jew, his name is Kahl." Cartman interrupts.

"Piss off." Kyle says calmly.

"I have a little sister she feeds too." Kenny tells the table.

"G-gosh Y/N, are you going to f-feed me too?" Tweek asks me.

"No, but you to feed me coffee though." I nudge his side.

"Anytime." He winks, or at least I think he did, but it could have just been the caffeine.

"So what's your date plans with Butters, Y/N?" Stan casually changes the subject. I glance at Butters who gives me a ' _I could never hurt a fly_ ' naive aura.

"I'm not sure. BunBun is surprising me. Do you think he'll put out?" I joke.

"I'm not that easy, Y/N." Butters counters.

"Really? Now you're playing hard to get?" I scoff in fake offense.

"You're going to have to work for this." Butter waves his hand over his body.

"Ugh. You two are so lame." Cartman joins in. "If I wanted to hear two pussies at it, I would just watch Kahl and Stan." We all look at him in slight disgust.

The rest of the school day moves by slowly but I'm grateful once it is over. Team Stan has to get ready for a sports game and Cartman feigned sickness so only he is walking me home today. We knew he was full of 'shit' because he was fine up until the last ten minutes of class, where he was suddenly too ill to exercise.

"Walk her all the way home Fatass." Kyle warns him before we split.

"Whateva. I do what I want!" Cartman says, walking ahead of me as I wave bye to them. I jog up to Cartman a few times since he keeps walking too fast for me. He's quick and nimble like his usual self despite his supposed illness. It's moments like this where I'm confused if he just tolerates me.

"Y/N, you walk like a penguin." He turns back, checking my speed.

"Ah...it's because you're taller than me! Your legs are longer and...why are you walking so fast? Isn't this faster than how you usually walk?" I complain nonstop. My feet slightly struggles against the snow which is a few inches deep. We're not too far from home and I like the casual walk, but there was nothing casual about me trying to catch my breath. "W-wait up Cartman." I jog towards him, losing my balance. I slide on some slippery ice just as he turns to impatiently grumble at me. "Watch ou-" I bump into his chest, tackling him hard to the ground. My fall is surprisingly soft. I can hear his heartbeat with my ear smashed against his chest. It sounds fast.

"O-ow. Geez Y/N, get your clumsy ass off of me." He groans with his back flat to the ground. I sit up over him, making sure he's not hurt. He frowns at me with a reddening face. I didn't notice how deep brown his eyes are in contrast to his brown hair.

"Sorry, are you okay?"

"Yeah so get off of me already slowpoke."

"O-okay." I say, registering the awkward position we're in. "At least you broke my fall, it was soft." I laugh as we sit up.

"Don't expect me to be there to catch you again next time."

"Not like you had a choice," I snort.

"Just be grateful I was here."

"Thanks for not pushing me off." I pat the ice off of his back.

"I would have but you're heavy." His lie is obvious. I've seen him bench press two times my weight in gym class.

"Whatever you say, Teddy Bear." I tease.

"Why am I suddenly a stuff animal?"

"Because you're fluffy and soft. I bet you give the best hugs."

"Guess you'll never know."

"Aw c'mon." I edge up to him and he starts running. He really is too fast. "Cartman!" I chase after him, laughing. We make it to my house catching our breathes. Cartman never stopped running, not even once.

_'At least he wal-ran me home.'_

"Thanks Eric Bear." I slightly wheeze. 

"Whatever, I'm going home." He waves me off, without looking at me.

”I thought you were ill!”

I feel a little restless so I decide to take a walk after hours, but I don't want to worry my parents, so I decide to leave through my window. I've always wanted to try and it looked doable during the daytime. The chilly air blows to my face when I push the window glass to the side. I don't plan to go too far, I just want to burn some energy.

"What are you doing?" I freeze once I hit the ground. Turning, I see it's my ' _friendly, neighborhood good boy_ ', Kyle.

"What am I doing? What are _you_ doing?" I say, leaning my hand against the wall, looking up at him. He squints his eyes at me.

"You're not up to something dangerous, are you?"

"N-no, not at all. I just wanted to take a walk or two around the block. I feel restless." He accepts my explanation before putting his hands on his hips.

"Okay, but it's dangerous out at night. I'll walk with you."

"That's not necessary, I just wanted some fresh air."

"What a coincidence, me too." He says, obviously not letting me have my way.

I sigh, "fine, suit yourself, Kahl." He scrunches his nose at the imitation. He walks with me across the darkened residences. 

"I saw you from my window" Kyle confesses, "I wanted to make sure you didn't fall so I climbed out my window in case I needed to catch you." look at him in surprise.

"You're that fast?"

"When I think you'll hurt yourself, I am." His green eyes seem to follow me in the dark. It's not pitch black since the porch lights are illuminating our paths and the moon is out.

"I was careful." I assure him. Kyle is taller than me and takes longer strides so he is faster than me. Unlike Cartman, I notice he adjusts his strides to shorter ones and slows dow,n so that we are able to walk side by side. I can't help but smile at the his consideration.

"What is it?" His lips move upward when he notices me smiling at him.

"Nothing." I brush off, glancing at his hair.

"No really, what is it?"

"I've always wanted to touch your hair...It looks soft." I confess, peeking at the red strands loose from his green hat.

He looks at me thoughtfully before bending down so I can touch it properly. "Go ahead."

"Really?" I happily accept his offer and reach for his red curls.

"Did you mean all those things you said to Cartman on Monday?" He asks, looking at my face as I lean forward.

"About you being a cool daywalker?" I slide my hand under the side of his hat.

"The other things."

"Like your hair being pretty? Of course! It's softer than I imagined!" I say, tugging at his curls. "Ah...I wish I had hair like this."

"Hmm..." he thinks out loud.

"Hmm?" I tilt my head.

"Yeah, it's not fair. Can I touch your hair too?"

I pull my back my hand in surprise.

"I can't?" He asks innocently.

"You can. My hair isn't as soft as yours though...so it's a little embarrassing, but you can touch it, I guess." I say as calmly as I can _._

_'Cute redhead wants to touch my hair! Thank God I conditioned today!'_

Kyle reaches his hand over, and I feel a blush start to burn on my cheeks, as he runs his cold fingers through the side of my hair. I flinch from the cool touch, and he notices, because he pulls his hand away. I can't help but feel a little disappointed, until he places his hand on my head to gently caress my hair.

"Your hair is soft." He mutters.

"Thanks." I say while shamelessly enjoying the pampering.

"Let's get back, it's getting colder." He pulls his hand away from the top of my head. We walk back and he watches me awkwardly climb up to the second floor of my house for the first time. I feel safe going up since he's patiently watching. I wave goodbye to my favorite neighbor, whispering him a good night, and he mouths it back to me.


	16. New Date

Butters is picking me up at noon. He's being secretive about what we're going to be doing today but I don't mind. I feel pretty excited. I prepared him a little gift for taking me out and it's safe in my shoulder bag. I put on a checkered scarf with a long black coat, a white dress underneath, checkered socks, and black boots. I guess I have a theme going on. After doing my makeup, I check my phone to see his arrival is in ten minutes. Knowing Butters, he'll be here on the dot. I do a quick spin in front of the mirror and hop downstairs.

I open the door when the bell rings to see my Bestie. "Butters! You look so handsome, wow." I say, admiring his look. He's wearing black jeans with a dark blue buttoned up collared shirt under a green jacket. He styled his hair a bit.

"You look as pretty as always." He says, fiddling with his hands, with a shy smile. "We're the most good looking team in South Park." I watch as he turns his back to me with his elbow out for grabbing. I link arms with him, chuckling, "So where are we off to, Romeo?"

"We're going to take the bus, Juliet." He smiles.

"Oh. How romantic, I've always wanted to go on the bus." I joke.

"Hardie Har." He leads me to the bus stop. When we're seated side by side, I decide to ask him questions I usually do, when it's just the two of us.

"Have you been feeling all right lately? How are your parents treating you the past few days?" 

He frowns a bit. "Still insane as ever. I'm not doing as bad since you moved here though."

"Seriously, I can't believe them. I want to feed them a knuckle sandwich." I say, raising my first. "And a side of just desserts." I swing my arms in the air.

"I get it." He laughs, "so how have you been feeling? I know the school situation with the girls is rough on you..." We share a silent conversation with out eyes.

"It's okay," I say, looking away.

"It's not okay." He corrects me.

"It's not, but as long as you and the guys are with me, it's not so bad. Let's not talk about this right now. We're on a date!"

We reach our destination to place, a little far from South Park but not quite far enough to be North Park. It is a huge building with the words 'Ice Skating Park'.

"Oh!" I exclaim a little too loudly, pulling him towards the doors.

"I thought you might like it. Didn't you say you wanted to learn ice skating when you move here?" 

I clap when I recall. "I do! Thanks for remembering!" We run inside and after gawking at the spacious well decorated interior. We go to rent our skating shoes.

"How well can you skate, Bunbun?"

"I'm not sure..." He skates off while doing a perfect double spin and curves back to me. "Still a beginner, I guess." He grins.

I laugh, "oh my gosh, what a show off."

He puts out his hand towards me."Let's go. We'll start slow." I nod, placing my hand on his, and he leans in to grab my other hand as well. I'm wobbling like a newborn deer across the skating rink. Butters is patient and isn't bothered by my slow progress. Even if he is, he didn't let it show. "Copy my movements. Kick outward in a V shape like this. Not too fast though." I balance myself, almost slipping. "It's best to start along the railing, and once you get more comfortable, you can venture more to the middle." I hang onto his every word. I practice for a good two hours, while Butters skates around me, cheering me nonstop.

"You're good with your feet." I admire his footwork.

"I used to be a tap dancer after all." He brags.

"You're really amazing, you know that?"

"I'm not that great, according to my parents."

"Oh shut up, you're amazing. Wait, Butters, stand there." I let go of the railing, attempting to skate towards him, before slipping. I crash into his arms and he stands strong on his skates, not letting us fall.

"Golly, you're doing better! You're getting the hang it!"

"I'm a natural." I boast, despite the children zooming by at hyper speed. I push myself off from Butters a little too fast, and he's unable to react fast enough, as I lose my balance and fall on my butt. "O-ouch..."

"A natural all right." He chuckles and helps me up. "You need to take it slower."

I pout, "Ah~ I want to do a spin like you. "It's not going to happen in one day, Buddy. You'll get a hang of it. I can take us here again soon." 

"Yay!" I hug him and he almost stumbles.

"Are you hungry ? Let's get food. I know a place."

I mentally count the hours since I ate breakfast. We change into our personal shoes and grab our belongings. I double check that my gift is still in my bag. Butters walks us to a cafe that's not far from the Ice Park. The smell of coffee envelops the air. Lately, coffee always reminds me of Tweek. I make a mental note to take a picture of my drink to text him.

"Order whatever you like Y/N, it's on me!" Butters slips out his wallet.

"No way! I can't let you do that." I push his wallet back to him.

"It's a date so I'm paying."

"Well you're my date too so let me pay for your share."

"Then we are basically paying for ourselves."

"I guess...fine you can pay today and I will pay for our next hang out." I conclude with a smile. Butters isn't fully convinced but he shrugs with a sigh in defeat. "Thank you! The food looks so good! Wow, the latte art is a leaf!" I grab my phone, snapping a few shots and uploading the latte picture to the group chat, commenting @Tweek. Butters seems satisfied with my giddy reaction and eats his croissant sandwich. "Today is fun."

Butters looks at his plate before looking up at me. I still haven't touched my food yet, since I'm too excited capturing our memories via technology. "Y/N, there's something I need to tell you," he glances around our table before continuing, "you were really upset when you found out our friends are superheroes."

"Wait Butters, sit still. I'm taking a picture of you and your food!"

He abruptly stops and smiles for the picture.

I snap the picture before looking up at him. "What about it?" I put my phone away. None of my superhero friends have tried to talk to me about what they do and I don't press them for answers.

He stares into my eyes before swallowing. "You don't know everything...You don't even know about all of the superheroes and their identities. You don't even know about the supervillains." I widen my eyes at his serious gaze.

"I know..." I interrupt. "There's more superheroes I haven't met yet, like Call girl and Doctor Timothy, but it's okay. I'm not in a rush to find out about everything. I don't think I'm emotionally ready to hear about the superhero business or about supervillains. I want to know more, but not right now...it makes me scared...I'm scared to think about them in dangerous situations like the one I was in when they saved me." I confess, not wanting to remember how hopeless I felt. He opens his mouth to say something, but decides against it.

"Okay." He smiles at me, "I won't talk about it until you are ready. There's no rush."

"Thanks Bun Bun." I say as I take a sip of my drink.

"You have some froth on you cheek." Butters motions on his lips where it is on me. I wipe my lips but he shakes his head. He leans over the table, wiping the side of my lips with his finger. "Here." I utter a flustered thanks. Butters is sweet. He seems to be exhausted from the ice skating, because after that conversation, he stops initiating conversations as much.

"Want to hit the mall before we go home, Y/N? We have time before it gets dark." Butter asks, holding the cafe door open for me.

"Sure!" I say as we head back to one of the bus stops. When we get on the bus, I lean my head on his shoulder, and he doesn't seems to mind as he looks out the window. "Butters, you're the bestest friend I've ever had."

"You're my bestest friend too. I never want you to be mad or be sad, because of me." 

"Why would I ever get mad at my best friend?" I say, taking my head off his shoulder to look at him. "You never make me sad and you know everything about me. I'm happy I met you." I thrust my hand into my shoulder bag, shuffling around before pulling out the object I am looking for. "Here you go, give me your hand." I hover the surprise near his hand. Butters looks confused but offers me his open palm. I gently place the object into his hand and his eyes sparkle as he sees it. "It's a Hello Kitty keychain! I specially imported it from Japan by preordering it. It's a limited edition matching key chain!" I pull out the matching key chain from my pocket. He looks at his gift and then at mines. He flashes his teeth at me into a big smile.

"Golly Y/N...you remember I love Hello Kitty! Thank you." He hugs me. "You'll always be my best friend, Y/N." I could feel my cheeks warm from his adorable smile.

"Anything for Bun Bun! We're the perfect duo. You're the sweet good boy and I'm the crazy fan girl."

"I think you have it all backwards." He looks at me smugly.

"I do not." I remark.

"I'm the dangerous bad boy and you're the innocent fan girl."

"Pffft...oh my gosh Butters, what fan fics have you been reading without me?" I grab his defenseless arm, shaking with laughter. "Link them to me. I would read them." We go back and forth about how we outrank each other in who would be the baddest, before we arrive at our stop to South Park mall. I haven't been there yet so I'm full of bubbling excitement. "This place is huge!"

"It becomes a blood bath on Black Friday," he shudders, "don't even bother." He earnestly warns me. We walk into a few stores before we stop when we hear a familiar voice.

"Isn't that Y/N and Butters?" Cartman calls out to us.

"Oh! Hey guys!" I wave at Cartman, Kyle, Stan, Kenny, Craig, Tweek, and Clyde. " What a coincidence? Oh Tweek, you're not working today? That's awesome!" I say to him, and I flip off Craig while he returns the favor. "Oh my gosh..." I gasp..."You guys aren't...you aren't following us, are you?" I side eye them as I elbow Clyde. The guys give a nervous laugh. They look guilty for some reason.

"What? No. Of course not." Cartman scoffs. "We just happen to be here at the same place at the same time."

"Christ! It's a total coincidence Y/N! ACK! Right everyone?" Tweek flinches.

"There, there, Tweeki-khin." I pat his back, "I was just joking." Tweek lets out an exaggerated laugh as well as the rest of the boys except for Craig. I glance at Butters who gives them an annoyed look as if he knows something that I don't.

"Y/N, you look so pretty today. Will you go on a date with me tomorrow too?" Clyde slightly whimpers. He reminds me of a puppy.

"Mmphh mmphh mfft!" (Go out with me too!) Kenny makes his way to him.

I giggle, "Oh my gosh. We're not really on a date. This is Team Butters alone time, so shoo." I wave them off but they don't leave.

"But Y/N, if it's not really a date, why don't we all hang out?" Stan asks me.

"That sounds like a good idea, Stan! We can hang out while we're here." Kyle adds, "we can show her the mall." Craig just nods to Kyle's suggestion, while Tweek fumbles and grabs his buttoned shirt in distress. Butters sneaks to my side, and before the others can say anything, he grabs my hand to run in the opposite direction. Butters laughs while I smile and try to keep up with him. Their shouts can be heard faintly behind us.


	17. New Look

"This way Bun!" I tug Butters into one of the clothing stores. We glance behind us, making sure no one is hot on our trail. Butters leads us through the racks of clothes, dodging any employees and witnesses, before pulling us into a dressing room.

 _'How did it end up like this?'_

He peers cautiously behind the curtain as I struggle to keep my breathing silent from the run.

"I think...we're safe now." Butters sighs, catching his breath. We stare at each other as a blush creeps on my cheeks. His cheeks turns a light shade of red when he realizes. We're in a tiny dressing room, that we shouldn't even be in, with each other. We're lucky no employees noticed us or I would die from embarrassment at the odd situation. Butters starts to laugh a little, causing me to catch the giggles too. We're hiding from a group of teen boys that just want to hang out with us, but we ran away instead. If it isn't a date, it sure seems like it is. "We should...get out of here but what if they see us leaving?"

"We can make a disguise...we're in a clothing store after all," I brainstorm. "What store is this even?"

"It's Hot Topic...heheh..." Butters giggles as I curiously tilt my head at his reaction. "This is the 3rd Hot Topic the mall opened. The first two _mysteriously_ burned down." He reminisces. 

"Why would it burn down? Who?"

"It's a long story...anyways, I have an idea..." Butter says with a devilish grin. I don't usually see that kind of smile, but when I do, I can't help but mirror his expression with eagerness. Butters sneaks out to grabs a few things. I wait in the dressing room since he told me to trust him. I gave him some money so that he wouldn't just go off buying me things with his own. He's not even gone for more than five minutes, when he comes in with some goods. He eyes me up and down, before nodding to himself. "You're dressed pretty dark...you just need to wear this black hat and put on some dark makeup. Here's some eye makeup and lipstick," he pushes a bag of things into my hand.

Before I can ask, he's slipping on a black leather jacket over his green jacket and putting on some fake piercings. He tells me to hold my breath as he sprays some black onto his hair. I can't help but gawk at his transformation.

_'He looks pretty cool like a cute vampire...or, I don't know...Goth Butters? Nice.'_

"Hurry..." Butters snaps his fingers in front of my face with a smirk. We can't stay in here forever. Uh, by the way, when you're done, will you do the eye make up for me?" I nod with excitement as I undo my hair to fit the hat over my head. I make my makeup as aesthetically dark as I can, giving me a different vibe with some dark lipstick and eyeshadow.

I motion for Butters to bend down to do his eyeliner. Butters closes his eyes and I'm able to take a good look at his face up close. His face is cute but his eye scar adds a element of mystery and toughness. Butters eyes trembles slightly as I use one hand to apply the eyeliner and the other to softly hold his cheek. I have never put makeup on a boy before, so I tried not to let my nerves get to me, especially with us being so close. 

"I'm done. What do you think?" I ask as he opens his eyes to check the mirror.

"Great job, I look like a different me." He laughs. We quickly exit the store, giving the two employees there a quick thank you. They're not even fazed. It made sense why no one kicked us out of the dressing room. Butters checks that the coast is clear and we make our move. We window shop and check the stores out in incognito. When we hear any of the boys nearby, we turn the other way. The trip through the mall is exciting. After getting a fill of looking around, Butters tells me he will walk me home.

"Wait, let's take a picture! It's not everyday we are the darker versions of ourselves." I take out my phone.

"I'm the dark version of myself on some nights, Y/N." He gives me a secretive look.

"So..." I look at him suspiciously, "you're like a werewolf? Are you going to tell me every full moon, you turn into a wannabe Goth?" I laugh and he joins me. I snap a picture of us and we head to the bus, where we happen to see a group of familiar dark individuals exit a diner. The four students walk in our direction and takes in our appearances.

"Oh dark lord..." the tall one, Michael, says when he sees us. He huffs a smoke of cigarette.

"You two dork conformists aren't doing the vampire, emo thing, are you?" Henrietta turns her plump lips downward.

Pete gives us a similar disapproving look. "Really Y/N? The conformist cheerleaders reject you from their stupid clique and you rebel by shopping at the consumerist parasite of a store?"

"We're going to have to burn Hot Topic again." The Goth kid, Firkle, announces with a sigh.

_'Is that what happened to the other two?'_

"Shhh!" I put a finger to my lips, "Butters and I are undercover...we're hiding from our friends."

Pete shakes his head with an amused expression. "If you're trying to go undercover...you might, I don't know...try not to stick out so much?"

"If you want to spy on conformists, you need to shop at Gap or Old navy or something." Michael blows more smoke. I'm staring at Henrietta with a sparkle in my eye without caring about a word they're saying.

"Henrietta, you're always so flawless, my goodness. You have the whole Goth aesthetic down, I want to give you a black rose or something...no a red rose. Ah...I want to take pics of you like a photo shoot or something...oh my God...can we take a picture together?"

The Goths look at me to Butters who gives them a shrug.

"She's fangirling right now, there's nothing I can do."

"Pretty please, Henrietta." I muster the best puppy eyed look and she gives me a flattered but annoyed look. "I won't upload it!"

"Fine, whatever. Just never speak of this again." She says.

"Yay!" I hand Butters my phone as he takes a two shot of me and Henrietta. I grab my phone in excitement, thanking her vigorously. The Goths escape from my overwhelming energy, and we catch the bus before it leaves. I smile, reminiscing about the day, while Butters goes back to admiring his keychain gift. I'm happy he likes it. When we get to my door, I thank Butters for a wonderful day.

"I'll see you at school, Y/N. When you're ready to talk more about the superheroes, you know how to reach me." He walks away.

"Butters."

He turns around as I wiggle my matching key chain at him. He stuffs his hand into his pocket to wiggle his at me too. I smile before closing my door.

After I cleanup and jump into bed, I launch the Coonstagram app, uploading the gothic inspired two shot of Butters and I with the tags #TeamBunbun, #BestTeam, #CoolerthanTeamStan, #HotterthanTeamCraig, and #DontburnHotTopic. Funnily enough, the Goths send a like to the image. They haven't unfriended me like some acquaintances, after the girls at school basically outcasted me. My play date with Butters was fun. I feel like he wanted to tell me something, but I bury that feeling, as I look to the key chain I attached to my school bag.

The group messages from the boys in chat, leave me rolling on my bed with laughter. According to Kyle, Stan had a Goth phase, when Wendy broke up with him for Token, at one point. The image of Goth Stan sounds absolutely adorable and I'm sure he looked pretty cool. When I said this in chat, I couldn't tell if he was embarrassed or happy.

**Group Chat:**

**Y/N:** I need a pic of Goth Stan plz!

 **StantheGreat:** No.

 **Y/N:** Plz...I just want to print it out and frame it so I can gaze at your angst hotness.

Plz.

 **StantheGreat:** ...

Anyone want to go Hot Topic with me tomorrow?

 **Clydey:** Sorry, I'm busy.

 **Jimmi:** What are you up to tomorrow? He turned down my invite to my stand up and he loves them.

 **Clydey:** I have a date with Y/N.

 **Y/N:** You do?!?!

 **Ninjew:** Why are you the one surprised?

 **SpaceCraig:** Obviously, this is news to her.

 **Kofi:** She does?!!!11

 **KenKen:** What?!

 **GrandWizard:** Why him?!

You need to game with us more Y/N!

We need a support! There's a raid tomorrow.

 **Chaotic Bun:** I got grounded as soon as I came home.

My parents had flashbacks to when I was a 'vampire monster'

 **Y/N:** OMG Butters! They're so messed up!

Good thing Cartman is here, he can smuggle you some fun

 **GrandWizard:** If you join our raid.

 **Clydey:** But I want to go on a date with you, Y/N!

Butters got to spend time alone with you, what about me?

[ _cry emote_ ]

 **Y/N:** I will give you lunch again Cartman, if you help Butters.

 **GrandWizard:** Fiiiine.

 **Y/N:** And what do you mean by date?

I date no one.

I go solo.

A lone wolf.

 **Clydey:** We can hang with Rex!

 **Y/N:** A lone wolf who found her wolf pack. See you tomorrow Clydey!

 **StantheGreat:** What the

You can hang with Sparky!

 **Y/N:** Now, now fellas...that's why I have two hands. One to pet each dog.

lol I'll hang with Sparky another time, Clyde asked first.

 **Clydey:** Yeah Stan, I asked first.

 **SpaceCraig:** More like begged.

 **KenKen:** Can you pet me too, Y/N?

 **GrandWizard:** I noticed...first Stripe, then Sparky, then Rex, and Tweek with his coffee...

 **Kofi:** ?!??!?!?@jkowei

 **Ninjew:** I noticed that too...but didn't you lure her with your VR set Fat@ss?

 **Chaotic Bun:** Are you fellas trying to seduce Y/N with your pets...um coffee..and video games?

 **SpaceCraig:** What?

 **StantheGreat:** ...

 **Clydey:** ...

 **KenKen:** I don't need any of that to seduce Y/N.

I'm already irresistible. [ _wink emote_ ]

 **Ninjew:** Y/N, you need to be careful around these guys.

 **GrandWizard:** Says the Jew...

 **Y/N:** ...

 **RogueToken:** Hey guys! What did I miss?

 **Jimmi:** Not much besides the gang fighting over Y/N.

Not even my crutches can hold all this thirst. I mean, come on.

 **RogueToken:** So the usual, thanks.

 **Y/N:** .....


	18. New Park

"Wear comfortable shoes, we're going to the dog park!" Clyde informs me over the phone. 

"There's a dog park in South Park? Why are you only telling me this now?” I shout into the phone while Clyde laughs over the receiver.

"Okay, I'm leaving my house now, bye Babe." Clyde says to me.

"I'm not your babe, Buddy," I say.

"I'm not your Buddy, Pal," he responds.

"I'm not your Pal, Friend."

"I'm not your Friend, I'm your boyfriend-“

"Okay, bye." I hang up. I'm spending time with Clyde today. He's always fun to be around but I hope he isn't going to keep embarrassing me by calling it a date.

 _‘Why are my friends such natural flirts?’_

They are always saying things that would make me misunderstand, but luckily for them, I won't allow myself to do so. We're all just friends, and I like it that way. I tie my hair into a pony tail with a red ribbon, red athletic shoes, jean shorts with gray leggings, and a gray sports jacket. I like being somewhat color coordinated. My parents aren't home so I say bye to no one. I assume Clyde is the one ringing the doorbell. I open the door to find his cute gray dog, Rex, and a brown hair cutie.

"Y/N...looking good," he says, checking me out.

"Thanks, I look like this everyday." I say, fighting a blush.

"You look extra good though," he grins, not backing down. Clyde is wearing his usual red school jacket with dark blue jeans and blue running shoes. Sometimes, he looks like a typical jock until he opens his mouth, further proving it to be true.

_’I’m joking. He’s the cutest jock at our school, for sure!’_

I bend over, petting the dog who has grown wise over the years. "Aw...nice to see you Rex." I spy his wagging tail. Clyde hands me his leash. Rex rushes and sniffs the snow along the sidewalks. He makes me wonder how much strength he has, despite his old age.

"Y/N...we're wearing matching clothes," he says touching his chin, "we look like a couple."

"Be right back. I'll go change!" I joke.

"Why are you so cold?" He struts faster as Rex excitedly runs ahead of us.

"You're the most fun to tease,” I giggle, "you don’t get mad."

"I do get mad but I won't get mad at you for just joking around." He sends me a cute smile. 

_‘Oh stop it, you!’_

_"_ Admit it, you like the attention." I jog slightly, catching up to Rex.

"I think he recognizes this is the route to the dog park," Clyde smoothly changes the subject. We quickly find the dog park which happens to be near the grocery store. I'm surprised I didn't sense this place since I always seem to sense cute things. In fact, I would say it's my natural super power besides finding coffee. "We're here! Check out those pups! Awesome, that greyhound is huge!" Clyde grows excited.

I giggle at his excitement that I would usually expect from me. "It is huge! There's so many different breeds, wow. Thanks for taking me here Clydey!" We jog around with Rex, as he goes wild, meeting his new friends. They quickly allow him into their puppyhood. We take his leash off, allowing him to mingle with the friendly dogs. Clyde leads me to a bench to watch his dog and I sit by him. "Rex has so much energy."

"He's like a puppy sometimes, oh yea..." He pulls out a zip lock bag from his jacket and it's filled with dog treats, "these are the treats you gave me. Here you go. He loves it." Clyde hands over the bag while I jump out of my seat to run to Rex. The other dogs get excited for the treats, so I break them into pieces so they can all get a sample. I look back at Clyde and he's joyfully watching us. "Clydey! Look!" I run from the dogs and the pack chases after me. I have bribed my way into their hearts. Dogs are quick to befriend people. They remind me of a certain someone. I head back to him, plopping myself next to the teen. Clyde, not so subtly, takes his arm and places it behind the back of me, on top of the bench.

_‘Silly.’_

"So...how are you liking our date?" He smirks at me.

"Oh my gosh, it's not a date," I shake my head.

"I know...but think of it as a pre-date, before our real one someday."

"Oh you...” I say, softly hitting his side.

"I mean it,” he chuckles. 

"You remind me of a dog!" I admit to him.

"A dog? I don't just go after anyone, Y/N!” He gasps at me with slight offense.

"No, no...I mean you're like a cute puppy. You're so friendly, energetic, and sociable. Everyone likes you." I smile as he registers my meaning.

"Oh..." He slides his arm back to his side "Y/N...do you like me too?" I nod without hesitation.

"I'm fine with that...for now." He stands up before I can respond. "Let's get lunch, I'm starving...how does Taco Bell sound?"

"Let's go!" I jump up since I’m not one to turn down food. We take Rex and realize we shouldn't bring him into the restaurant. Not wanting to leave Rex outside by himself, Clyde reads my mood and offers to run inside for take out. I agree and loiter outside of the unnecessarily huge Taco Bell building with a tired Rex. He must have ran til his heart content. As I'm waiting for Clyde, I notice Craig walking down the street with a young cutie. I recognize her as his littler sister, Tricia, who I wasn't able to meet when I went to visit Stripe once. I saw her pictures around his home. Craig notices me and motions for his sister to follow him. She kind of has a similar aura as him. Craig flips me off and I flip him off in return.

"Y/N. Aren't you supposed to be on a date with Clyde?" He says as he notices Rex and makes a silent 'oh'. Tricia looks up at me with her cute orangish pigtails and flips me off. 

_‘Like Brother, like Sister.’_

I giggle, flipping her off.

"Hi Craig! He's inside. Hello Tricia, I'm Y/n!"

She lifts her eyebrows at me before smiling. "Nice to meet you, Y/N. You must be the girl my brother likes." His jaw drops and he looks down at her.

"I do not."

"You do! Mom and dad said you showed her Stripe, and even brought him to her house! You never do that." She places her hands on her hips. She's different from Karen. I want her to call me big sissy too.

"Why are you looking at my sister like that?" Craig says to me, breaking me out of my sibling fantasies.

"Um...You're sister is adorable and cool. She's a little like you, Craig." I giggle and Tricia smiles at me.

"You're right. He's less cute and cool than me though. He takes after me," she jokes.

"By the way, Craig doesn't like me in a special way or anything. I'm one of the bros," I tell her. She shakes her head.

"That's not what my parents and I think. The only one he treated that special was Tweek." She sighs, “it didn't work out between them but Tweek is still like a second brother to me."

"Tweeki-khins must be awesome to have as a brother. He always gives me unlimited samples at his coffee shop!" I gush. Tricia nods before looking at Craig.

"You have competition, huh bro?"

"Hey! Craig and Tricia! What's up?” Clyde opens the door with his back since his hands are full. “What are you two doing, interrupting my date?"

" **It's not a date**.” Craig and I say at the same time and Clyde pouts.

"Clyde too?" She says, flipping Clyde off, while he tilts his head. Craig doesn't answer but he walks away, flipping us off as a way to say goodbye, I’m assuming. Clyde and I decide to sit on one of the outdoor dining tables with Rex beside us.

"Thanks for the food, Clydey. How much was it?" I say, taking out my wallet.

He shakes his hands in front of me. “No...I don't want your money. Even if this isn't a date, I still want to treat you. You're a cool friend. That's why everyone wants to hang out with you, y’know." He says, taking a bite out of his taco. He ordered both of us combos. I always thought he looks cute stuffing his face, since he eats a lot compared to the other guys, except for Cartman. Playing sports seems to be keeping him in shape. My parents always said a big appetite looks attractive, and I can't help but agree, when I watch Clyde.

”Thanks.” I sip from my drink. I notice it’s the soda I usually buy at school during lunch. 

_‘Did he notice?’_

We all like to joke about Clyde, but he’s one of the sensitive ones and the mood maker of the group. “You’re a cool friend too. Thanks for helping me out when we were at Token’s house. That was considerate of you.”

“What are friends for?” His lips curve at one end. “Warn me next time you’re about to hug me though, so I can savor the moment better.”

”Okay, no more hugs.” I grin.

”Y/N!” He says with his cheeks full. Clyde tells me some fun stories, like when he became Dark Lord of an army of darkness, during their fantasy game when they were kids. He mistook the green goo from Taco Bell as their green sauce, but Taco Bell didn’t have one at the time. It turned every living thing into a Nazi zombie, until he was dramatically defeated by Dovahkiin from one of my classes. Apparently, he has the ability to easily make friends on any social media. Maybe that’s why I was able to introduce myself and add him on Coonstagram without any shyness. The stories, Clyde tells me, has me almost choking on my taco, so he hands me my drink.

Clyde let’s me hold Rex’s leash as he walks me back home. I'm talking to Clyde about the guys when I begin to stumble on some ice ahead of me.

_’Not again...’_

Clyde is quick on his feet and grabs my hand, pulling me to him as I fall into him.

"Be careful!" He checks my steps ahead of me when I'm stabilized. I mumble a quick thanks, pushing myself off his chest, while blushing.

“Oh! Can I take a picture with Rex?” I ask a slightly red Clyde. He nods, taking out his phone and doing me a solid, by taking more than enough photos as I pose, kneeling next to Rex on the ground.

”I’ll send them to you! Can I take one with you too?” He looks at me with a puppy eyed look.

”Sure!” He stands close to me and I get a little self conscious from the intimate distance. He snaps a vertical one, then a horizontal, and then another angle. 

_‘I thought you said one photo...’_

”This is going to be my new lock screen,” he smiles at his phone.

“Really? What about the picture of Rex and I?” I tease.

”It’s already my wallpaper.” He says, wiggling his phone at me. He moves quick. “I also took pics of Rex at the park and you just happen to be in a few of them...” he scratches his head, looking away.

”Send me those! My background is the silly pic we took at Token’s.” I show him my screen. Clyde smiles at it and proceeds to escort me back home.

“Thanks for today Clyde, it was fun. Bye Rex,” I scratch Rex’s ear before heading inside.

“Anytime Y/N.” 

I clean myself up and feel a ping from my phone. Clyde sent me the pictures and I decide to upload the one with Rex and I with the tags #myrex, #oneofmypups, and #clydeisapuptoo. Clyde is the first to send a like.

I ask Kyle if I can come over do some homework and he responds with a ‘C’mon over. I’m helping Ike with his homework too.’ I pick up my bag and head over to his house. Ike and Kyle are working at the dining table while his parents prepare a Kosher dinner. I smile at my good timing, knowing when the food will ready while I’m here. I sit next to Kyle with Ike across from him.

”Y/N, how was your date with Clyde?” Kyle air quotes.

”It was fun,” I tell him.

Ike looks up at me curiously. ”Clyde is kind of dumb though, you should date someone smarter.” He says, glancing at Kyle. 

_‘What are you his wingman-wingbro?’_

_”_ He’s not dumb. He’s got people smarts instead of book smarts,” I tell him as I take out my worksheets. We work on our homework together and finish in no time. Kyle is a patient teacher. I doodle a little at the corners of his notebook which is full of meticulous notes. He doesn’t seem to mind, since he does the same to my notebook that is full of messy notes, random fangirling, and doodles. He spots something on a page and squints at it. I look down to see what he is looking at, before I panic and cover my notebook with both hands. “Don’t look,” I try closing it.

”Too late,” he grins at me. There’s mini versions of my superhero friends doodled on the page. I even drew a mini version of Kyle without his hat on. He had exaggeratedly puffy curly hair that was being poked by a stick figure version of me with sparkles. I’m saved when his parents tell us to clear the table for dinner. Dinner is great as usual and Kyle watches me as I head home ‘just to be safe’. After I do my nighttime routine, I hit the hay.

My phone goes off in the middle of the night, waking me from a pleasant dream.

”H-hello?” I squint at glaring screen “Stan? It’s 2 am..."

”H-hey Y/N,” he says almost slurring his words together, “what’s u-up?” 

_‘What else would I be doing at this time?’_

”Just sleeping” I yawn, “you?”

He sighs, “I don’t know. I just...I just wanted to hear your voice. It calms me.”

”Oh thanks. Is...is something wrong?” I say, shifting slightly above my pillow.

”I feel really shitty. Everything is shit Y/N. It's Shit! Shit! Everything I see, hear, and touch..." He vents. "It’s. All. Shit.”

”Whoa, what happened Stan?” I sit up, feeling fully awake now. He sounds distressed.

”I’m just tired of it...of all the shit. Everyone is shit,” he hiccups, “except for you. You’re the only one I don’t see, feel, or hear shit from. Why...why is that?” He sounds, genuinely confused. I’m on the same boat.

”Stan...I don’t know, but not everything and everyone is sh...shitty. You have a family that cares for you, you’re one of the best athletes at our school, and everyone thinks you’re great. You’re cool, smart, and handsome. You’re Stan, the man! You have friends who care about you, especially you’re best friend, Kyle. He would be sad if he knew.” I say with ease, channeling my fangirl spirit.

”Fuck Kyle.” He mutters.

”You don’t mean that.”

”I...love him...but fuck him.” He sounds conflicted and might not even be sober, I slowly realize. “They don’t know what it’s like. What I’m like...”

”We won’t know unless you tell us. We’re here for you. I’m here for you. You’re one of my closest friends Stan. I may not have known you for a long time but I feel that way.”

He stays quiet for a moment on his end. It’s just the sound of our breathing.

”You’re a good friend Y/N. I’m sorry for being a piece of shit."

”No, that’s Cartman.” I laugh, earning a small chuckle from him. “We all have our shitty moments, sometimes. I’m not perfect either.”

"You...you aren't shitty, but sometimes, you make me feel like shit."

"I make you feel like shit?" My voice is full of worry.

"No, I mean, you are the one person who doesn't make me feel shitty, but then I wonder...Maybe it's me who is the shitty one. Why would you be with a shitty person like me?"

"Wait, stop this nonsense. I won't abandon you even if you do act like a shithead once in a while." I laugh, trying to ease his worry even if it is a little.

”Sorry Y/N," he breathes into the phone, “good night.”

”Good night. I’ll pick you up for school tomorrow, kay? See you.” I hang up, without giving him the chance to reject me. I need to make sure he’ll be okay.


	19. New Line

Feeling a bit antsy, I decide to head over to Stan's house, as soon as I get up. I rush my morning routine, without forgetting to pack a lunch for Kenny and I. I grab my bag before sending Kyle a quick text. I hope the text doesn't wake him, but I had to let him to know I was going to pick up Stan, and that I will catch him at the bus. I knock on Stan's door and his dad, Randy, opens the door.

"Good morning Mr. Marsh, is Stan here?"

"Good morning little Y/N. He's upstairs, can you make sure he's up? I would do it, but sometimes, he can be a grouchy grouch in the morning." He chuckles, going back to the kitchen, smelling of coffee. 

‘Coffee...’

I quietly walk up the stairs, in case anyone else is still asleep in the house. I knock on Stan's door, and choose to intrude, when I get no response. His doorknob is unlocked so I enter his room.

"Hey Stan?" I whisper, shutting the door behind me. “Stan?" He's asleep on the floor, sitting up against the wall with his phone near him. "Stan, are you okay?" I approach him and I'm hit with a strong scent of alcohol. ‘Alcohol?’

Stan reeks of alcohol. I take in his appearance. He’s not wearing his jacket and his hair a wild mess. As I move closer, I can spot an empty bottle of beer underneath his bed and a half empty bottle on the floor next to him. "Stan..." I kneel down next to him and bring my hand up to lightly shake him. He must've been drunk when he called me. He sounded so sad and exhausted last night and now, seeing him like this, I feel my chest tighten. "Stan..." I put my hand to his face, making sure he's okay. He shifts under my touch, opening his eyes, before grabbing his head in pain.

"Ughhnn." He groans with his breath smelling of booze. I slip off my bag, unzipping it to grab my water bottle and remove the lid.

"Drink this," I speak softly, bringing it to his lips. He opens his eyes at me in recognition, but before he can say anything, he accepts the water and drinks it.

"Y-Y/N? W-what are you doing here?" He sits up and glances around in confusion.

"I was worried about you."

"You were? What happened?"

"Stan...why were you drinking?" I look at him sternly and he widens his eyes. He looks around for the evidence and sees they are in plain sight. He doesn't look at me and closes his eyes, taking in a deep breathe, before releasing it.

"Sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

"I never wanted you to see me like this..." He groans and closes his eyes, "I remember last night... I-I said too much."

"You didn't say enough."

"I...I can't function without alcohol."

"What? Stan, you're too young to be an alcoholic." I grab his hand, clenching it. I don't want to lose my friend.

’Never.’

"I don't think i'm an alcoholic. I just use booze to numb the pain."

"It sounds like you're in denial." I can feel my eyes water. "I don't want to lose a friend especially to a harmful addiction." He leans closer to me when he hears my voice cracking.

"Don't cry."

"I can't not cry."

"I'm such a piece of shit. I'm making you cry." He tightens his grip around my hand.

"You're not shit Stan. You're not...even if you were, I would be a shitty friend for not doing anything about it." I inform him. He looks at the floor in contemplation with his eyebrows furrowed. He raises his face to look at me when he seems to find the words.

"Y/N. Ever since I turned ten, everything changed. Everyone I talked to, everything I saw, everything I heard, everything...turned to shit." I nod for him to continue. "The only thing that helps me is drinking, so I take a little drink in the morning and at night. Sometimes, I drink a little too much and I end up doing something stupid...sorry for calling you last night. You're the last person I want to see me like this." He repeats. I shake my head while taking everything in.

"Stan...it sounds like you have depression. There is nothing wrong with having it, it's not your fault." I gaze into his eyes, offering as much comfort as I can. "I don't think drinking is the answer. If you have to be buzzed to enjoy life or you feel you need alcohol to function, then that's a problem. You became self reliant. I think you need to get help." I hope he hears me out.

"Y-you might be right, but I'm not an alcoholic."

"Even if you aren't, you still need to talk to a medical professional, so they can help you with your condition. Self medicating with alcohol shouldn't be the way. I'm sure there's a different route you can take, that wouldn't involve damaging your liver or making you intoxicated. If it's your mental health, you can go to therapy or if it's a chemical unbalance, then they can prescribe you medication. Stan...you need to want to help yourself before others can help you." He listens to me without interrupting me and pulls me in for a hug.

"Thanks Y/N." He whispers in my shoulder as I hug him back.

"I think I need to try to help myself today...without alcohol."

"Do you want me to stay here with you today?" I ask. He shakes his head without releasing me.

"No, I can be okay for one day."

"You're trying," I hug him tighter, "I'm glad. I know it's not easy."

"Thanks...I don't ever want to see that expression on your face again." He lets go of me. "I think...I think I'll talk to my parents when you leave. They need to know."

I smile at him. "I'm proud of you. I'm very lucky to have you as my friend."

"I'm the one who is lucky." He finally smiles at me. He looks refreshed like a small weight is lifted from his shoulders.

"Okay...you'll be okay. Call me if you need me, okay?" I say, standing up.

"Thanks."

I head out the door, leaving my water bottle with Stan. I hesitate at the door, turning to look at him and he smiles back at me. I don't really want to leave him but I don't want the others to worry either. I let Randy know that Stan isn't going to school with me and I pet Sparky on the way out. I send Stan a 'Good luck!' text as I head for the bus stop. The familiar colors of Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny are there. I'm glad I didn't miss the bus but it was the least of my worries. I let them know Stan isn't going to school today, for personal reasons and they don't pry much after I say he'll be okay, especially to Kyle.

When even one of us is missing, I feel like a piece of my heart is too. It's feels like an incomplete puzzle. 

‘I wonder if the others feel this way?’

I feel this way ever since I left Stan and as I go from class to class. When it's lunch, I give Kenny his lunch, but I'm not hungry so I give my lunch to Cartman. I barely remember I’m supposed to give him lunch anyways for helping Butters. Butters, Team Craig, and Team Stan, without Stan, are all here. Standing up from the table, I tell the guys there's a book in the library I wanted to check. The book is an excuse to clear my head but I feel like I need to get away.

The library environment is comforting. It was my favorite place at my old school since barely any students like to spend their lunch there. The sound of flipping pages, pencils scribbling, quiet murmurs, the clicking of the keyboards, and the smell of old books. All of it manages to help repress my thoughts that I'm not ready to have at school right now. I trail my fingers from book to book down a book isle. There's a book from a higher level that looks interesting. From the name, it looks like a romance novel.

I reach for it and realize the need to tippy toe. It's still too high but I don't give up on reaching. A hand, from behind me, reaches for the book and tugs it out from it's high position. I look above me to see the familiar deep blue eyes belonging to Craig. Stan and Craig have similar features with blue eyes and black hair, but they are easy to tell them apart. His eyes drops down to me as he lightly taps my head with the book.

"Here Shorty."

"Oh thanks," I blush from his proximity. I could feel his presence close from behind me. "I'm not short, you're just taller than all of us." I retort as he steps back, allowing me to turn to face him.

"Romance books, huh?" He smiles with one corner of his lips.

"W-what about it?" I hover the book over my face as I peek up at him.

"It always seems like you never want to think about romance. Since you're a 'bro' and all." He teases.

"I mostly only read romance..." I confess, blushing a bit. "I can experience different feelings from the eyes of many different characters. It's like being lost in their world and experiencing their lives. I don't actually want to fall in love in real life or anything."

"Why not?" He asks, losing his smile.

"I don't want to." I respond curtly, feeling a bit defensive.

"That's not a good answer. You’re the most hopeless romantic I know. You romanticize everything. I find it hard to believe, to be honest." He stares into my eyes and I break eye contact.

"Anyways...what are you doing here?" I ask him, moving the book behind my back.

"You've been acting off today. The rest of us think so too.”

"Everyone thinks I'm acting off? Oh...I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my mind." I say, feeling guilty for making my friends worry for nothing.

"What's on your mind?"

"Just stuff...I'm trying not to think about it." My words slip out. Craig tilts his head, waiting for me to go on, but I don’t. He sighs and puts his hand on my head.

"Don't worry too much. If you keep it all in, you'll hurt yourself, Dummy." He ruffles my hair. 

‘Craig really is an older brother, huh? No, don't fangirl right now.’ I internally scold myself.

"You're going to make me fangirl." I tell him honestly.

"That’s more like you. It would make me soo happy." He chuckles.

"Thanks Craig." I smile at him, feeling a bit lighter. He accompanies me as I check out the book. I ignore him as he smiles next to me, while obviously withholding a tease.

We rejoin the boys at the lunch table and I apologize for worrying them for acting strangely, but I'm fine. Kyle throws his hand over Cartman's mouth when he's halfway asking if it was that time of the month. Tweek offers to bring me coffee tomorrow which makes me break into a smile. Clyde, Jimmy, and Kenny cracks jokes at each other like usual, and Token tries to shush them, when they get too loud about the dirty ones. The guys are just relieved it's nothing serious but I can sense Butters not being fully satisfied with my answer. I hope he can't tell how much I'm downplaying. I go through the motions like usual until school lets out. I hope Stan was able to have a productive conversation with his parents. He’s strong for trying.

Butter has to rush home since he’s still grounded, so he isn't able to talk to me as we walk home together. I need to go home, as soon as possible, before I say something I will regret. Before any of my thoughts leak out, I have to get away. My parents’ car isn’t here yet so I feel a sense of relief wash over me. I desperately need some alone time. I stumble into my room and fall to my knees, before the door shuts. I tried to bury my thoughts but I'm already painfully aware. The feeling I have right now is fear. I felt it since the moment I walked away from Stan. My phone rings and I pull it out of my pocket to answer.

"Y/N." Butters’ voice hits my ears. "Cartman gave me a burner phone again. Are you okay?"

"I don't know." I tell him. "I don't want to know. I feel terrible today, Bun."

"I'm here," he soothes me, “I'm listening."

"I don't know. I finally have friends. The friends I always wanted but now I'm scared to lose any of you. What do I do?" My lips tremble as I press the phone close, waiting for him to respond.

"You’re feelings are valid. You don’t have to minimize it. You don't want to lose us because we are important to you. You finally found friends who like you just as much as you like them. You won't lose them and you won't lose me."

"I feel happy but it's scary. What do I do if anything happens to you guys? I'm not just scared of everyone disliking me someday...I'm scared something might happen to any of you in the future that I can't prevent. I don't think my heart can take it." I begin hyperventilating.

Butters must have noticed because he slowly coaches me. "Take a deep breathe. Slow in...and slow out...breathe in.....breathe out.....there you go, little Buddy." I continue the breathing exercises. Usually, I help him with the breathing techniques, but he also does them for me, when I'm losing my mind fangirling about something. I slowly breathe in through my nose, and hold my breathe, before releasing the air through my mouth just as slow. Once my heart rate slows down, I thank him.

"My fear used to be I would never find friends. Now I'm scared to lose them."

"I know. We never know what will happen in the future. For now, we just have to trust that our friends will be all right and they won't leave. At this point, I don't think you have to worry. None of the guys seem like they will be able to even think about losing you. We talk about you in the guys only chat all the time.”

"The guys only chat?"

"Oh uh...golly. It's not a secret or anything. We have a group chat with just us guys, before you moved here."

"Oh...makes sense. I'm not surprised. I'm a little surprised you guys talk about me...all the time?" I ask stupefied.

"Mmhmm. Sometimes, I think it drives Token bonkers. We talk about one thing, and then someone mentions you, and then we would only talk about you." He giggles, and I do too when I imagine it. "It's an endless cycle. We’re like your fanboys sometimes."

"What...me with fanboys?” This makes me laugh hard. "I never thought about that."

"You have no idea! It's not just us...there's a lot of guys at school that want to talk to you, but our friends kind of make it impossible. They hover over you like a hawk. If I wasn't already your friend they might not have even let me speak to you." He laughs.

I laugh at his exaggeration. "Yeah right... Even if I met you last, I feel like you would still be my best friend."

"I think so too." He confidently declares. "I can tell when you're hiding stuff Y/N. If you need someone to talk to, you know where I am,” he pauses, “probably in my room because I'm grounded for breathing."

"Don't give them ideas!" I laugh.

“I’m happy you’re laughing.”

”Thanks Bestie.” After we hang up, my chest feels lighter. I can’t wait for my parents to come home. I miss them even though they’re gone for a few days every single week. I go through my school bag, pulling out the romance book I borrowed. I think about what Craig said in the library about me and romance. I can’t even begin to imagine what being in love would do to me, since I can’t even imagine losing any my friends. I brush the topic of romance away from my mind, hoping it won’t revisit me any time soon.


	20. New Stand

**Group Chat**

  
**Kofi** : That match was too intense! Nngah!

ACKKKHWEOuihyndrhurllH!!!!!!!

 **StanFan (Y/N)** : I agree Tweeki-khins.

It’s waaay too much pressure when Cartboy is yelling obscenities into the mic every few secs

 **Chaotic Bun** : Eric! I'm going to get grounded if my dad hears you curse through my headset!

 **GrandWiz** : Who cares! We won!

 **Ken** : Whoohoo!

 **GrandWiz** : The enemy team got #WRECKED

It sounded like that little kid was crying! HAHAH

 **Ken** : They sucked ass lol

 **SpaceCraig** : That kid was Clyde...

 **Clydey** : I wasn't crying!

 **GrandWiz** : Get good!

 **Ninjew** : Want to play another round?

 **Kofi** : I'm going to get some coffee first jksdfg AFK

 **StanFan** : Aw, I want some.

 **SpaceCraig** : Getting a snack brb

 **Clydey** : Y/N, you should be on my team this time!

 **Ken** : Nope. She stays on my team.

 **StantheGreat** : Hey guys.

 **Ninjew** : Hey Stan!

 **Ken** : Stan! What's up bro?

 **Clydey** : BRO!

 **GrandWiz** : Are you really going to stay there for 2 weeks?

 **StantheGreat** : Yep. Just dropping by to say wassup

 **GrandWiz** : Lame.

 **StanFan (Y/N)** : STAAAAAANNNNNNN?!

STAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNN!!!!!

Is that you?!

I miss you!!

 **StantheGreat** : It's only been one day.

 **GrandWiz** : Stop being so dramatic.

 **Chaotic Bun** : Stan, hiya fella!

We've been worried about you.

 **StantheGreat** : I'm good.

Stanfan? lol

  
When Stan didn't show up to school today, I almost went into full panic mode. Kyle informed me Stan was with his parents out of town. Stan confessed to the guys in their boys only group chat about his alcohol addiction. I almost started crying when Kyle told me. Apparently, he managed to talk to his parents and they were able to convince him to seek help. He could finally admit he was an alcoholic, and they were going to be there for him every step of the way. The place he is staying at is a medical rehab facility for underage youths with addictions. He would be receiving intensive counseling and therapy. Cartman claimed to have always known about Stan but didn't care enough to say anything. At least, the rest of us are supportive.

**StanFan (Y/N)** : Day 1 of 14

My husband Stan is still not back from the war,

but I shall await his return,

never giving up,

day after day,

until we meet again.

 **StantheGreat** : ....

I'll break out.

 **Ninjew** : You need to stay there for 13 more days lol

 **StantheGreat** : Not when my wife is waiting, I can't.

Be there soon, bby.

 **StanFan (Y/N)** : Stan!

 **Ninjew** : Seriously...

 **SpaceCraig** : Back.

Oh hey Stan.

I thought it would be good once you came back,

but on 2nd thought,

you should stay there.

 **Ken** : Time to cuck Stan.

Y/N, let me comfort you, bby girl.

 **Kofi** : Back.

Hi Stan!

 **Clydey** : Nooo!!!

Even if it's a joke,

I don't want Y/N to be married to anyone else but me

 **StanFan** : Clydey, you can be my second husband 

**Clydey** : Yay!

 **StanFan** : Then I'll divorce you and take Rex.

Then I'll have Sparky, Rex, and then~

 **Clydey** : Huh?!

 **SpaceCraig** : Plz tell me I'm not next.

 **StanFan** : Yes, I need Stripe too. Dear husband number 3.

 **SpaceCraig** : [ _middle finger emote_ ]

 **Chaotic Bun** : She's been reading a strange romance novel lol

 **Ninjew** : Define strange.

 **Kofi** : OH GOODNESS! SHE'S GOING TO COME AFTER MY COFFEEE AHHHHH!

 **Ninjew** : Anyways...

How was your first day Stan?

 **StantheGreat** : It went better than expected.

 **StanFan (Y/N)** : I'm so glad.

I'm so proud of you, Stan!

WE ALL ARE!!

 **StantheGreat** : Thanks.

It’s because of you.

 **GrandWiz** : Stop the cheesiness.

I'm going to gag. 

**StanFan (Y/N)** : Don't give up!

You got this!

We believe in you!!

They don't call me StanFan for nothing!

 **GrandWiz** : [barf emote]

 **StantheGreat** : :D

 **StantheGreat** : G2g bye.

 **Ninjew** : Bye!

 **Ken** : Later!

 **Clydey** : Bye bro!

 **Kofi** : Bbye!

 **SpaceCraig** : Cya.

 **StanFan (Y/N):** Bye!!!

 **StanFan (Y/N):** I miss him already.

 **Clydey** : Would u miss me too if I were gone for one day?

 **StanFan (Y/N):** Yes, I would miss any of you.

 **Kofi** : Really?

 **Chaotic Bun** : You have no idea.

 **StanFan (Y/N):** Bunbun hush.

 **GrandWiz** : What? 

I want to know.

 **Ken** : Y/N,

Is there something you’re not telling us?

:3

 **Clydey** : :3

 **Ninjew** : :3

 **Kofi** : :3

 **SpaceCraig** : How do I delete this chat?

 **Jimmi** : I finally caught up in chat

Congrats finishing day 1 Stan!

:3

 **RogueToken** : You guys are spamming chat.

Draining my battery.

Oh Stan was here.

Hey Stan!

I throw my arms in the air and stretch against the back of my chair. I’m happy for Stan. Pushing my curtains aside, I look out into the night sky. South Park doesn’t have a lot of light pollution so I could see more stars here than at my old home. My eyes fall downwards when I see movement and Kyle happens to be looking out his window as well. He’s not wearing his hat so I can see his cute red curls even from a distance. His green eyes sparkles even from there. He smiles when he notices me and I wave at him.

My parents are home so I head down when dinner is ready. Dinner with my parents is my favorite way to spend time with them. They tell me about work and I tell them about school and my hobbies. Lately, I'm happy to be able to talk about friends, and I can tell they are happy listening to my stories and seeing me laugh again. My dad's ears perk at the mention of all the names and feels the need to warn me about being around too many male teens. My mom asks if I’m interested in any of them, causing my father to panic which we thought was pretty funny, except for him. They didn't mention the lack of female names in my updates which I’m silently thankful for.

When my dad asks if I need more money for anything, I deny like usual. They always allow me access to one of their credit cards, but I only use it for necessities, despite them urging me to treat myself. Anything that's not necessities, I use only my own personal savings. We're not rich but I have been lucky enough to be born as an only child to giving parents with good jobs. They like to gift some money for special occasions, such as birthdays and holidays, but I refuse to be spoiled with expensive tastes on my parents' dime. In fact, I begin to wonder how much I have spent since moving here.

I bought Kenny's family groceries, extra ingredients for lunches, pet treats, limited edition keychains, had to replace the clothes Cartman got paint on, and daily coffee at Tweek's. My parents interrupt my thoughts to clear the table. I check my phone to see a message from Clyde.

Clyde: Do you want a ride to school tmrw?

Y/N: Is there enough room?

Clyde: Yeah.

Y/N: Okay, yay!

Clyde: Kay, see you in the mornin! 

I send a quick text to Tweek to see if he'll bring us all coffee in the morning. I'll pay, of course.

Y/N: Hey Kyle, you don't need to pick me up tmrw!

I'm getting a ride from Token.

Kyle: Nice, I'll see you in class.

I wonder what the occasion is. I have only been in Token's car once. In the morning, I decide to wear a brown coat over jeans and some black boots. I throw my lunch and Kenny's into my backpack, while double checking I finished all my homework and had the correct books for the day. My phone pings.

Clyde: We're outside!

I rush out the door, making sure my makeup didn't somehow smudge, and throw myself into the back seat next to Craig.

"Good morning! Thanks for the ride, Token!" I say as I shut the car door. He gives me a nod. The car smells of coffee and I look around in a daze, searching for it. Tweek is in the front next to Token and he chuckles while hand me my cup of coffee.

"Be careful i-it's hot!"

"Tweeki-khins! Oh my gosh, you're a life saver!" I take a sip right away. "O-ow!"

"He just warned you that it‘s hot," Craig sighs next to me. "Don't burn yourself."

“T-thanks for the c-c-co-coffee, Tweek told us this is from you.” Jimmy wiggles his half empty cup at me.

”No problem! Thanks for taking care of everything, Tweek!”

Tweek turns to smile at me from the front seat.

”Aw, I want to sit next to Y/N! Craig switch with me!” Clyde whines from the opposite end, wiggling next to Jimmy.

“Wait Cly-” is all I can say before Clyde pushes Jimmy, who in turns, pushes Craig, who pushes me into the car door.

”Clyde...” Craig glares, annoyed at an apologetic Clyde.

”Sorry...you okay, Y/N?” Clyde asks. I nod blushing since Craig is still kind of laying on me.

“My bad,” Craig grins, before moving off of me. 

‘ _What was that grin for you? I might die in this car, why is team Craig so dreamy? Snap out of it_!’

“T-Token, this isn’t the way to school, Ack!” Tweek eyes suspiciously at him. I look out the window and notice he’s taking a unfamiliar route.

“Where are we going?” Tweek panics. My eyes widens and I look to the boys on my left. Clyde, Jimmy, Craig, and Token are all sharing a mischievous look.

“W-wha?” I tilt my head at them, feeling similar to Tweek.

“We are di-di-di-ditching, baby!” Jimmy grins at us.

”Auughhhhhh ahhh!” Tweek and I shout in unison. Craig puts a finger in his ear closest to us.

”What? What if we get caught? Detention! Uwah!” Tweek flails his arms while I do the same.

”Wait, wait, wait!” I yell, “I have homework I need to turn in today!” Tweek and I are filling the car with screams while the rest of the boys laugh at our dilemma.

”Live a little Y/N, it’s just one day!” Clyde sparkles his teeth at me.

”W-we are going to li-live a little!” Jimmy sings.

“You’re one of the bros now Y/N so we had to kidnap you,” Token laughs.

Craig takes off his hat to pull it over my eyes. “Calm down, you’ll be fine with us.” I can hear him smiling. Their excitement is rubbing off on me. I fix Craig’s hat properly over my head with a nod.

”Okay but we better not get in trouble!” I warn them. I pat Tweek’s shoulder from behind. “It’s okay Tweeki-khins! At least we’re together.” He stops shaking and grabs my hand with his.

”Y/N...I don’t know what I would do without you.” He makes eye contact from the reflection of the car side mirror.

”The same as before I moved to South Park,” I laugh before my eyes bug out. “What is Kenny going to have for lunch?”


	21. New Hat

“Ah!” I throw my hands over my, _Craig’s,_ hat.

”What’s wrong?” Tweek turns to me, full of worry.

”Ken’s lunch is in my bag” I pout. “He’s going to get hungry...”

”Oh yeah, you always make him lunch...” Token frowns upon remembering.

”That’s right!” I pull out my phone and ring for my friend.

”Mmph?” Kenny responds.

”Kenken! It’s me. Y/N!”

”Mmph!”

”Umm..actually some stuff happened and I won’t be able to go to school. But don’t worry! I’m going to text you my locker combination. Actually, for emergencies, I kept some non perishable food in there. Help yourself to any or all of it! I don’t want you too starve.”

“ Is that Y/n?”

I can hear Kyle through Kenny’s phone.

”Where is she?” Cartman barks.

”Mmmphh mmphhh mmmpphhh mpphh!”

”Oh,” I blush, facing away from the guys, lowering my voice, “I-I’m not an angel, I just want to make sure you’re always okay. And I’m fine, I’m with-

Craig yanks my phone away, “we’re kidnapping Y/n, bye.” He hangs up and hands me my phone back.

”Craig...I didn’t get to say bye...”

“Y/N, you really are an angel,” Clyde peeks over and I shake my head. I text Kyle that I am skipping school with Team Craig, and that I am not, in fact, kidnapped. Then I text Kenny my locker combination.

”I’m not.” 

“You sh-shouldn’t trust people w-with your locker combo so easily.” Tweek cautions to me.

”You’re too naive.” Craig says.

”Am not. Enough about me! Where the heck are we even going?”

“Sn-sn-snowboarding!” Jimmy smiles and Clyde gives me the thumbs up.

”Snowboarding? Cool! You guys know how?”

”We live around snow our whole lives. Of course we do.” Craig tells me, matter of fact. Since I’m skipping school, I might as well enjoy it, instead of worrying about assignments. I watch the passing farmlands and snowy scenery, as the guys joke around and Token plays music. I’m just happy I have Tweek’s coffee in my hands.

”Craig...” I whisper to him, suddenly feeling cheeky. “Am I cute in your hat?” I dramatically bat my eyes at him. His lips turn upward as he takes a drink from his to-go cup. I puff my cheeks at him for not responding. The ride is a bit long so I decide to play with Tweek. I poke his left shoulder, and when he turns, I pretend it wasn't me. I do this repeatedly. I poke him and look out the window, fighting to keep a straight face. Craig just watches me in silence as Tweek jolts, looking around himself, frantically. He eyes Jimmy suspiciously and I cough into my hand to hide a laugh. I slowly move my finger to Tweek, and he grabs my finger without looking.

"Y/N!" Tweek laughs when he turns.

"It was Craig!" I lie, pulling my finger away.

"Craig doesn't have small fingers like you."

"Really?" I slide my hand under Craig's hand. Craig's eyes widen for a moment, and his hand stiffens before relaxing. "Wow, your hands are way bigger than mines." I laugh, comparing our hand sizes.

"No, you're just tiny," Craig smiles, enveloping his hand in mines. I pull my hand away from surprise. 

_'That was close my heart almost skipped a beat! Actually, too late!'_

I blush slightly.

"Craig! I saw that!" Clyde shouts from across the seats.

"I think e-everyone's hands in this car is bi-bi-bigger than your's Y/N." Jimmy tells me.

"Weird flex but okay." I shrug.

"You know what they say about g-guys with b-b-b-b-big hands don't you?" He quirks his eyebrows and I smile, waiting for the punchline.

"They're g-g-great snow-bo-boarders."

"Pfftt." I can't believe that got me. Jimmy looks pleased and Token shakes his head.

"Also, they're great in bed," he says without stuttering

"Oh my God, Jimmy!" I laugh.

"That's what she said."

Everyone cracks up.

"We're here!" Token parks as I look out to see a winter sports park. There's skiing, snowboarding, sledding, and other snow activities.

"Wow!" I gaze at the crowds of all age,s despite it being a weekday. "There's so much to do!"

"We won't get caught ditching all the way out here" Token laughs to Tweek. We jump out the car and the guys start stretching.

"Oh geez! Those hills are high!" Tweek points towards the shorter mountains where the snowboarders are playing, I pull Tweek along with me to check out the rental area.

"Tweeki-khins I don't think I'll snowboard...do you want to share that ice sledding thing?" I point to one of the sleds that could hold up to two people. Tweek nods with a smile.

"I-if you're okay with me."

"Of course! Show me the ropes, I never did it before." I say shyly.

"L-leave it to me!" We walk to the rental area without the rest of the gang, where the employees advise us about prices and safety. I whip out my wallet before Tweek can, since I'm the one who invited him.

"Wait Y/N, I'll pay!"

"No, it's all good." I smile. Tweek and I are the only ones who didn't prepare any snow safety gear, so we have to rent those as well. Tweek paid both of ours before I can offer, while grinning at me. We quickly put on our rented safety pads, goggles, shoes, and gloves.

"Y/N! What are you two doing?" Clyde shouts to me. "You're not snowboarding?" Token throws Tweek an extra coat they had in the car.

"No we're doing couple's ice sledding." Tweek tells him with a smirk.

"What?" Clyde pouts and runs to us. "Y/N...I wanted to teach you how to snowboard..."

"I'll watch you after I sled with Tweek."

Clyde shines his pearly whites as soon as I say it.

"Yeah! Be careful not to fall too hard for me, when you see my skills. I'm amazing!" Clyde boasts.

"Whatever, don't cry when I beat you in a race." Craig taunts him.

"You'll both be e-e-eating snow when I'm through with you t-two." Jimmy grins.

"I don't mean to brag but I had a professional Snowboarding athlete coach me." Token joins the competition, fixing his gloves.

"Who needs professionals when you have skills like me!" Clyde pats his snowboard.

"Crying isn't a skill." Craig eggs on Clyde who kicks some snow towards Craig.

"Wow, let's watch them race once, before we sled, Tweeki-khins!"

Tweek agrees and we all head up the hill with the gang. They look pretty cool in their snow gear. All the guys have nice builds since they work out and play sports.

_'I should go to one of their games...I will cheer like no one has ever cheered before! Cheerleaders who?'_

I stand next to Tweek as the guys align themselves, ready to race from afar. We're standing halfway down the hill, out of their path, to watch from the side.

"Ready..." Tweek shouts "...on the count of three! One...two...three!" The guys kick themselves off in a split second and slide down the hill with frightening speed. It's amazing how head to head they all are, and Jimmy as he maneuvers with his arm clutches. Clyde turns to do a quick wave to me, and Craig cuts him off by sliding in front of his path. Jimmy is in the lead, but then Token somehow drifts on the snow and speeds pass him. Craig does an effortless jump and spin, and Clyde wobbles a bit after a super high jump while bending his legs in the air. 

_'Are these guys showing off or racing?'_

Tweek and I cheer them on from the top of the hill. The race is surprisingly fun to spectate probably because it is them.

"Arrrghhh!" Clyde shouts in frustration when he arrives lasts. Token is first, Craig second, and Jimmy came in third. "I want a rematch! You guys only won because I didn't warm up yet."

"None of us warmed u-u-u-up," Jimmy says.

"Yeah, yeah," Token laughs. "I think you spent too much time trying to show off in front of Y/N."

"Craig was showing off first! That spin was extra!" Clyde points at Craig who shrugs.

"Whatever, I won."

Tweek and I clap for Token as he poses dramatically.

"That was awesome! You guys are so cool!" I continue clapping, my cheeks hurting from shouting and smiling so hard.

"Let's go Y/N," Tweek holds up the sled. We leave the guys as they prepare for another race. We climb to a non-designated area, free from any of the other sports. "Do you want to sit in the front or the back?"

"Since I'm new to this...which one is less scary?"

"Maybe the back. I'll steer and you can just hold onto me." Tweek sits in front of the sled, holding it in place with his feet on both sides. I move behind him, settling him between my legs, while holding onto each side of the sled with my hands. "I-it might be better if you hold on to me." Tweek tells me as he turns his head towards me.

"O-okay." I place my hand on his shoulders, before deciding he might be a little too tall, so I take my hands off and my arms around his coat. "Is this okay?"

"Yes," he squeaks. Tweek is tall ,but since we're at an angle, I can see slightly pass his shoulders. 

_'We're really close.'_

Tweek might be used to physical contact but this is enough to put me into fangirl mode.

_'We're practically hugging! I'm hugging him from behind! Kyaa~Hurray for snow sledding! Thank you Santa or South Park Gods or whoever!'_

"Are you ready?"

I nod holding to the fabric of his coat and he kicks off slowly, throwing his feet onto the sled once it starts to move. The snow blurs by quickly as we head downhill. Tweek shouts from excitement instead of nervousness, and I feel the butterflies from the quick movement, fluttering as we race down the hill.

"Yeah!" I cheer as the sled picks up speed. I lean to the side to look ahead and that causes the sled to slightly adjust direction. We hit a small bump, making me clench Tweek harder. The sled slows down once we're at the bottom snow. "Whoa...that was fun, Tweek! Let's do that again! I want to be in front next!" I jump off the sled. Tweek looks a little red, I wonder if the bump scared him. "You okay, Tweek?"

"Y-yeah that was fun," his cheeks are red. "I'm glad you weren't scared."

"That's because you made me feel safe!" I laugh, grabbing the sled to begin our trek back uphill. The fun part is going downhill and not uphill.

"T-that's good. Wait, let me carry the sled." He says, taking the sled from my arms.

"It's surprisingly heavy." When we get to the top, I situate myself in front as Tweek holds the sled. I have my knees tucked into my chest, looking at Tweek expectantly. Tweek sets himself behind me while holding the sled on both side. "Hmm?"

"What is it?" He asks.

"You're not going to hang on to me?"

"I don't need to."

"You should, just to be safe" I urge him. Tweek hesitates, before putting his arms over my shoulders and crossing them. I can't help but giggle.

"W-what is it?" Tweek loosens his grip.

"It's like we're hugging." I tease, but to my surprise, he tightens his arms a bit.

"O-okay I'm going to kick us off," Tweek says next to my ears. I'm suddenly glad for Craig's hat or my ears might go red from the closeness. Tweek lifts his legs and throws them onto the sled by my sides.

"Wheee!" I cheer. It feels like I'm driving on ice.

"Whooo!" Tweek cheers with me as we zoom by.

"Do you think we can drift? What if we do a cool jump like the guys?"

"I don't think we should" Tweek laughs at my car imitations. Time passes by quick with us switching positions, going up and down the hill. I'm getting a bit tired from the walk uphill so we decide to watch the guys again. They look like they stopped their competitive races and were just showing each other sick moves.

"By the way, Tweek..." I sneak up next to him, "you smell nice." Tweek blushes from the complement. "Not to be creepy, but I love the smell of coffee, and you always smell so sweet." I mumble, feeling embarrassed from my own words.

"Thanks. You-you too! The pressure! ACK! You always smell good!"

I blush from his outburst. I turn to face the others to see if they overheard us.

 _"_ Why are you screaming about how nice Y/N smells?" Clyde slides over to us on his board. Tweek and I glance at each other.

"Um...I told him he smells nice so he said the same..." I tell him as the rest approaches. "We had to hold each other on the sled."

Craig speaks up. "We saw from afar but you don't need to _hug_ each other on the sled, you know."

"Well, we did and it was fun. None of us flew off!"

"Oh! My turn! Let's go Y/N! Here Tweek, take my stuff." Clyde begins to pass Tweek his board.

"Sorry Clyde, I'm tired." I tell him.

Token checks his phone at my response. "It's lunch time, let's get some grub."

"Food!" I perk up.

"After we eat, we can board a few more hours and head back. We don't want our parents questioning us." Token advisess.

_'Oh yeah...my parents are home today. Dinner with the fam...I hope they don't ask about school.'_

I don't want to lie to them. I'll just withhold information so i won't feel as guilty. We head over to one of the food vendors, near the renting area, and sit on their outdoor dining tables.

Jimmy takes a drink, "so how is your first day skipping s-s-s-school?" 

"It's fun! Thanks for kidnapping me."

"Anytime," Jimmy clicks his tongue while winking.

"I won't press charges this time, Clydey." I glance at him.

"Hey... it was Craig's idea! I just rolled with it."

"Ah yes, Craigster. The evil mastermind..." I eye him. "I better not see how we skipped in the school journal Jimmy." Jimmy snickers at my comment. "Let's take a group picture!" I ask a random couple if they can take our picture. The guys and I huddle around their snowboards in different poses. I quickly upload the one we all look the nicest in on my, now private, Coonstagram. 

After we eat, Tweek goes off to snowboard with Jimmy and Token. Clyde grabs a bigger sled since he and Craig kept fighting over who would ride with me first. I suggested they ride together but it resulted in getting a bigger sled.

"Hurry Y/N!" Clyde points behind him since he immediately hopped on before us. "Hang on tight," he sings. I place my hands on his shoulders. "No, hold me like you did with Tweek!" I put my arms around his waist and Craig sends him an icy stare.

"It's okay, Craig! I know being in front is the funnest, but you can go next!" I console him. He sighs and joins behind me.

"You don't need to hug him."

"Just to be safe!" I bring my hand behind me, grabbing his hand to hold me too.

"Hmm..." Craig hums, wrapping his arms around me and placing his head on top of mines. "How are you liking my hat?"

"Your hat? It's mines."

"Ready... Go!" Clyde kicks, and since there are more of us, the sled moves even quicker than when it was just Tweek and I. Clyde and I cheerfully roar on the way down. He tries drifting the sled, making me glad Craig is here, since Craig shifts to adjust the balance of the sled. When we roll to the lowest level, we decide to go to an even higher hill that has a curved path. Craig sneaks me in front of him on the sled and Clyde whines. Apparently, since I'm in front, Clyde has to hold onto Craig, and judging by Craig's response, that's exactly what he planned.

_'Ah sweet bromance...'_

Craig throws his arms around me and we head down at full speed. The slippery slopes and random drops make me and Clyde yell like we are on a roller coaster. Craig must think we're being dramatic but he doesn't say anything. We go back and forth, sliding down the hill and climbing back up, until Token calls us to start getting ready to head back. Time sure flies by fast.

After Tweek and I return our rented supplies, I remember I'm still wearing Craig's hat. I jog up to him and throw his hat back on his head from behind. "Thanks for letting me borrow your hat, Craig! It's so warm."

He turns to me and adjusts his hat. "Yea, by the way..."

"Huh?"

"The answer to your question from earlier. When you asked if you look cute in my hat...." He leans closer, "like I said before, you look good in my hat."

I blush, trying to think of something to say. "You look better in it," is all I can manage before jogging away to Token's car.

I thank the guys, once we're back in the car, for including me in their adventure. They seem to agree I'm fun to be around. I check my phone to see unread texts. Kenny found my locker stash for lunch. Kyle texted me about letting me copy his notes and any homework we received. Cartman sent me a text calling me a 'gay traitor' for ditching without him. Butters told me to call him later to tell him about my adventure.

"Team Craig is pretty cool," I tell the gang, "maybe someday you'll be almost as cool as Team Butters."


	22. New Flags

I’m glad the teachers at South Park high are as chaotic as the rest of South Park. At the teachers office, none of them pressed for answers for my absence, after I told them I didn’t feel well yesterday. I’m just happy I didn’t miss anything important. That’s what I thought, until I made it to second period, the only class I share without anyone from Team Craig or Team Stan. I sat next to my secret yaoi fangirl comrade, sharing a secretive glance, and Dovahkiin instead of the Goths today.

The angels, Bebe, and Wendy are looking fabulous as always, but I try not to let my eyes linger on them too long. My heart hurts when I see them. I can feel myself involuntarily react, by stiffening and breaking out in cold sweat, when Wendy or one of her female henchmen, or henchwomen, get too close to me. The act as if there's a secret council of female students and they all decided to vote for me to be socially rejected or something. 

_'My overactive imagination...'_

I’m not able to make new friends with the girls, and the guys won’t befriend me either due to the weird pressure the girls give them when they try, so they just gave up. Butters told me guys don’t approach me because our friends are protective of me, but somehow, I doubt it. At least the male students respond to me when I speak to them or say hello. Dovahkiin seems like a special case though. He doesn’t respond to anyone since he doesn’t seem to give a shit. His nickname seems to be Douchebag and he doesn’t seem to mind either. Fortunately, the Goths still treat me like how they treat everyone else, and I appreciate it.

The girls, when they aren’t pulling petty pranks or ignoring me, are usually gossiping loudly about me. I'm wasn't aware of the specific rumors until today. I can't believe I didn’t notice before, because the girls are always whispering, when I was around Team Craig and Team Stan. The gossips ranged from me seducing guys, bribing them, bullying girls, trying to steal boyfriends from girls like Nichole, and sleeping with Craig.

 _'The seducing accusation isn't anything new. The bullying and trying to take someone else's' boyfriend...uh, what? As for sleeping with Craig...is it because I wore his hat? Maybe someone saw me giving lunch to Kenny and Cartman, and that somehow, spiraled into bribery._ '

I wonder if the guys are aware of these rumors.

”Now go to your assigned partners.” The teacher claps and I'm startled. “This will now be a free period, where you and your partner can work on the task. If you have any questions, I will be sitting at my desk.”

_'Assigned partners?'_

I silently panic as I watch the students around me move to their designated partner.

”I was absent yesterday, I don’t have an assigned partner.” I remind the teacher at her desk.

”Ah, yes. You have been assigned to Miss Wendy. She kindly volunteered to be your partner. She’s the perfect model student, you couldn’t have asked for a better classmate.” The teacher continues to compliment Wendy as she makes her way towards us. I internally question whether the teacher has been brainwashed or not. “Miss Wendy can you inform Miss Y/N about the class project? You're such a hard worker. How do you juggle being a cheerleader, student council president, and grade A student?” The teacher makes it obvious who her favorite student is, leaving zero doubt in my mind that the teacher has been brainwashed. Wendy thanks the teacher and gives me a fake smile as she leads us to two empty desks. I look around to see the angels are paired together, and they're looking at us, as well as Bebe with another girl, doing the same.

”Thanks for being my partner.” I mumble to Wendy as I awkwardly sit next to her. She hasn’t dropped her perfectly molded smile.

_'Why did she have to be so pretty and evil and so pretty? Gosh. If she were a fictional villain, and not my in real life enemy, I would totally be her diehard fan.'_

_“_ We have to do a project that’s due at the end of next week. Here’s the handout.” She ignores what I previously said, and hands me the sheet. “I will do my half and you can do the other. I may not like you, but my grades are more important.”

_'I could respect that.'_

After I read the information, she tells me what she expects and I just nod, seeing as she didn’t like when I opened my mouth to speak to her.

“You better not effect my grade. I only volunteered so that no one would have to suffer being paired with a skank like you.” If someone was watching from a distance, they would assume we were having an in depth conversation about our project, but instead, here we are, most certainly not. She goes to the teacher and receives a slip of paper. “I got a hall pass, we’re going to the computer lab.” Wendy grabs her bag, not even double checking if I am following her or not. I walk side by side with her in silence.

“We know you skipped yesterday with Craig’s group,” Wendy speaks loud enough for only me to hear, despite it only being the two of us in the empty halls. “When are you going to stop being a slut and let the rest of us near the guys? They aren’t only yours to play with. Other girls like them too.” She scowls, dropping the good girl act. I couldn’t believe my ears.

I stop walking as I hold down my temper. “I’m not _playing_ with anyone. They’re just my friends. No one is stopping them from being their friends too.”

”They won’t hang out with us, because they aren’t tired of their little plaything yet.” She huffs as she stops walking as well. “When you stop spreading your whore legs, they will talk to us again, instead of looking at us like we’re trash.”

”Okay, stop with your dumb assumptions.” I tremble, controlling my volume. “I don’t know how they used to treat any of you, but I don’t know anything about that. Maybe they’re giving you and Bebe space, because you’re in relationships, or maybe they don’t like how you all act around me?”

”So you finally admit it’s because of you.” She turns her nose upward in disgust.

 _'That’s what you took from what I said_?'

”I didn’t do anything.” I tell her calmly despite feeling utterly baffled.

”So where is Stan?” She asks in a demanding tone, folding her arms. “He’s been absent for days.”

”Why don’t you ask him yourself?” I challenge and she begins tapping her arm impatiently with her perfectly manicured nails. “He’s your ex, why do you keep talking about him like that?” I ask the burning question.

”Even if I’m not with him, he’s mine. He's been mine since we were kids. You can’t just come to South Park taking away what’s ours. You piss us off.“

”What the fuck?” I’m too flabbergasted by her response to even keep a straight face. “You can’t keep Stan as back up or whatever. He deserves to be happy with someone. Anyone! They all do.”

”With who?” She lifts her eyebrow “You?”

”Whoever he wants.” I tell her, not backing down.

“You just don’t get it, new girl.” Wendy scowls.

”Yeah, I don’t.” I frown.

“Whatever, I’m too good for this. I’ll work on my half and you work on yours. We’ll only talk about this project in class. I don’t want to talk to you outside of it, cah-peesh?” She snaps her fingers.

”Fine by me.” I follow her to the computer lab. I have no idea how to make amends with these girls. They seem to hate me just for being friends with the guys. They irrationally want to blame me for their rejections, instead of looking at themselves. It’s not my fault they aren’t closer to them, I don’t get why they see me as such a threat. I’m not particularly special or anything. No one is in the computer lab so I sit a couple computers away from her. We only speak, when necessary, about our work. The bell rings, signaling for lunch, so Wendy leaves without a word. I feel like I can finally breathe again. The atmosphere was so uncomfortable earlier.

I leave the lab in a hurry and bump into someone on my way out. Our face is nearly an inch apart, almost colliding. I jump back from the blue eye teen caught by surprise and apologize immediately.

_'Oh god we were this close to ki- this ain’t a stupid romcom!'_

_“_ Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bump into you like that.” The handsome blond smiles at me. “Are you okay?”

”N-no, I’m the one who is sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going.” I stammer. “I’m okay, are you?”

“I’m as good as ever. No apologies necessary,” he chuckles, “my name is Gary.” He takes out his hand.

I shake his hand back, “I’m-“

“Y/N. I know.” He smiles politely.

_'The hot guy knows my name...'_

“Everyone knows about the new transfer. You’re pretty popular.”

”Me? No, that’s just because I’m friends with popular guys.” I sigh.

”No, I think it’s because you’re stunning. I heard you're friendly and kind. You share your lunch with Kenny, am I correct? They talk about all kinds of stuff in the locker room.” He tells me. I blush from his ability to speak without being nervous. He’s very confident and he doesn’t seem to be flirting. He just oozes honestly.

”Oh...thank you,” I mumble, pushing my hair behind my ear, feeling a bit self conscious. 

_'Why am I not immune to hot guys by now" I’m around the hottest guys all the time...'_

“They’re exaggerating.”

”Not at all,” he flashes his teeth, “I think they under exaggerated now that I have spoken to you. You seem charming.“

_'He isn’t flirting, he's just being friendly, right?'_

_“_ It was nice meeting you, I'll see you around.” He steps aside so I can leave, and I quickly say goodbye before running off.

I feel a sense of relief when I see my friends at the usual lunch table. Token and Jimmy are eating with Nichole, Scott, and Timmy. I head over to greet them before heading to the others. That’s usually how we break off when we’re all not eating together at the same table. I take a sip from the soda I grabbed, thinking of my new encounter. Gary wiped the bitter aftertaste of having to talk to Wendy. He’s refreshing.

”Here you go, KenKen,” I say, sliding his lunch to him.

He takes off his orange hoodie. “Thanks angel,” he flashes his pearly whites at me.

_'No you. Gazing at my friends is healing to my soul.'_

_“_ Kyle, have you guys heard from Stan today?” Clyde asks as I take a seat between him and Kyle, across from Butters, Craig, and Tweek.

”Yeah, he messaged me earlier and said, I quote, 'rehab is shitty, I need me some daily dose of Y/N.’” Kyle imitates Stan, making me laugh. I pass my lunch to Cartman who is sitting next to Clyde. Cartman's eyes automatically sparkles at the welcome additional. “You’re not hungry?” Kyle asks.

“I kind of lost my appetite earlier,” I take a sip of my soda.

”Did the girls do something last class?” He asks.

_'Why would he think that?'_

In fact, everyone at the table seems to be nonverbally asking me the same question.

”Don’t listen to what those bitches say.” Cartman stuffs his cheeks full. “Kahl might be the biggest bitch, but those girls are a close second.” Kyle ignores him.

”If anyone does anything to you, let me know.” Kenny smiles at me from Kyle’s side, “I can’t have my Princess being sad.”

“No...I just, we have a class project due by the end of next week.” I grimace, “my assigned partner is Wendy.” The gang looks at me with sympathy when I mention her name. “Did you guys know...about the weird rumors going around about me?” This causes Tweek to audibly twitch and Craig’s neutral expression to falter. Butters starts to nervously touch his knuckles.

”Why, did you hear something?” Kyle asks, looking around the lunch room for suspects.

“You guys heard?” I internally cringe from the shame.

“Rumors are just rumors. It’s nothing to get worked up about.” Craig says a bit nasally, and that makes me crack into a smile.

Clyde puts his hand on my shoulder, turning my attention to him. “We don’t really listen to rumors, unless it involves our friends being gay.” Clyde chuckles, looking over at the pair before us who share a knowing look between each other. I always had the feeling that even though Tweek and Craig may not have romantic feelings for each other, they share a close bond without having to say a single word to one another. It's beautiful. I want a friendship like that.

“We don’t care about gossips,” Kyle assures me. “Unless it involves fat fuck, so I can call out whatever stupid plan he’s making.” Right on cue, they begin glaring at each other. I turn to Butters who gives me a smile and I give him one in return. 

_'Maybe I do have a special bond with someone?'_

I understand if Butters kept the stupid rumors away from me, since he knows how they affect me. I guess the others didn’t want to worry me either.

”You’ll hear crazy rumors all the time." Cartman warns me. "You can’t believe every single thing you hear at school. Like let’s say...PC Principal beating the crap out of me or me sticking Butters' weiner in my mouth. It’s just rumors.” I nod at the ridiculousness, but the group talk over each other confirming it to be true.

”Dude, weak,” Cartman mutters at the betrayal. I have questions, but now isn’t the time.

”Gah! It’s going to be all right Y/N. They c-can talk all they want but at least, we know the truth. Nnnah!” Tweek comforts me.

“Thanks...I still feel kind of guilty since it makes you guys look bad by association.” My statement causes them to break out into laughter. I’m confused about what I said being so funny.

”You can’t make my reputation worse than it already is!” Kenny shuts his eyes from laughing. I frown at the thought that my friends are being besmirched.

“You’re a Saint compared to us,” Craig smirks.

“In our case, it’s not really rumors.” Clyde squeezes his hand that’s still on my shoulder.

“Should I be scared?” I eye them suspiciously.

“Too late, you’re stuck with us, neighbor,” Kyle puts his hand on my other shoulder and I shrink in defeat. Rumors are just rumors I tell myself.

' _That is...until someone gets hu-_ '

I spot a familiar blond hair boy, sitting a table away. Our eyes make contact. He waves with a smile and I smile back a bit shyly. The guys look to see who is distracting me.

”Gary? The lame Mormon kid?” Cartman spits. “How do you know him? You have no classes together.”

“He’s not lame, he’s really nice!” I say, defending my new associate. Clyde gasps, shaking my shoulder.

”Wait, you don’t have a crush on him do you? You don’t look at us like that!” Clyde worries.

“She does pal,” Butter informs Clyde to his relief.

”What? I don’t have a crush on anyone, and I don’t look at anyone like that. I just like to fangirl...and he’s such a gentleman.” I fawn.

”Stan’s not going to be happy to know that.” Kyle snickers knowingly with Kenny, to my confusion.

“I bumped into him and we were like thiiiis,” I show them with my fingers, “close to almost kissing!” Tweek cries out from the imagery and Craig gapes his mouth with a lifted eyebrow. Clyde and Kenny both stand up for some reason, before Kyle tells them to sit back down.

”That pussy Mormon wouldn’t kiss an ugoo like you,” Cartman taunts.

”Aw...are you jealous because you didn’t get to be thiiis,” I show him the measurements with my fingers agains “close to kissing him too?” Cartman childishly sticks out his tongue at me and I do the same.

"Stop acting like such a virgin. Getting all excited over an _almost_ kiss." Cartman continues, always feeling the need to have the last word.

"So what if I am a virgin? I was measuring the distance of our almost kiss, not the size of your dick." I sass, not meaning any of it. The boys let out an ' _oooh_ '.

He slaps the table, "My dick isn't small."

I gain a little unnecessary confidence. "Oh... me thinks you're getting a little defensive." For some reason, this agitates Cartman into real anger instead of playful.

 _'Opps_.'

”Hi, I’m Y/N. I’m a loser whose never had a boyfriend and I have never been kissed. Nyeh nyeh heh.. Fangirl, fangirling!” Cartman mocks. “Girls don't like me. I only read about kisses in books," he says with his hands on his cheeks. Kyle tells him to shut up.

”That’s not even a big deal! Besides, I...” I look to Butters and my throat instantly tightens. His eyes seem to be telling me the same words he spoke that night. The night I video chatted with him about my former school.

_"It didn't count."_

_'It didn't count, right? My lips touched the other person's lips...that's what it means to kiss, right? It didn't feel like what I had always imagined a kiss to feel. From all those romance novels I always read...I can still remember the metallic taste-'_

"Y/N," Butters calls out to me, "let's go." I nod without questions he leads us away. It's my fault, I made everything awkward.

"Nice going Fatass."

I can hear Kyle growl to him. I can feel the guys watching us as we leave the lunch room. We walk through the empty hallways in silence and the cool breeze hits our face when we open the back exit. Butters turns to me with a pained expression.

"Sorry Y/N...I can't keep a straight face." He rubs his knuckles, looking at the ground. I put my hand on his arm to stop his tic.

"No, I understand. Thank you for worrying about me." I say to him quietly. "That wasn't a kiss, right?"

"I told you it wasn't."

"It hurt." I'm not sure if I'm referencing the kiss or what Cartman said.

"I know. It shouldn't." Butters wraps his arms around me into a gentle hug. I bring my arms up to his back, watching the jet trails in the vast blue sky over his shoulders. I wonder what those are called again. I can't remember.

Butters and I walk back indoors. The outdoor breeze feels nice when you're cooped up inside a cage like school. Cartman finds us and before he opens his mouth, I apologize. I tell him I didn't mean any of what I said. Cartman looks surprised but mumbles an inaudible apology. He didn't voice it but he mouthed 'sorry'.

"It always feels like I say too much when I talk to you." Cartman says, scratching his head. "You always get me worked up for no reason I don't get it. But I don't get Butters reaction either. Why did you get so mad?" Cartman turns to face Butters.

"Eric...you need to watch what you say around Y/N or you might have to buy a whole flower shop to apologize."

"Why?" Cartman folds his arms across his chest.

"You hit too close to home?" I say as if I don't know. Cartman sighs, looking down at me.

 _"_ At least he apologized," Butters sighs, "Eric never does that."

"Really?" I gasp, looking at the large teen as if seeing him for the first time.

"Because I'm never wrong. But you're face...you make me say stupid shit." He says in frustration. Cartman keeps saying idiotic stuff but then he chases me down after.

_'When is he going to learn? Clumsy giant.'_

"Geez...I can't stay mad at my friends." I sigh. I walk up to him, slapping his back and making him stumble. "Don't make your future girlfriend sad. Consider me a practice." I grin at him, hands on my waist.

"Ah...you give me a headache." He rubs his temples.

"Get used to it."

We meet up with the gang concerned about our reaction.

_'Deja vu.'_

I'm sure one of the guys will update Stan about this mess, most likely Kyle. Stan's ex is a handful. I'm glad I'm only going to see her every other school day. We're going to have to work during school hours to finish our project together, since she doesn't want to meet me outside of school.

_'Why would she even volunteer to be my partner?'_

Her reasoning doesn't make sense.

_'Was it like, keep your friends close and your enemies closer, kind of thing?'_

Now _I'm_ getting a headache. On the bright side, our project will be over after next week and Stan will be back. I wonder how we should celebrate.


	23. New Ground

Today is my second ice skating fun with Butters, or that's what I thought until he called me this morning. He's grounded because his dad couldn't find his phone charger so obviously it had to be his son's fault.

 _'Sigh_.'

I'm still in bed. My parents aren't home today and won't be back for a few days. I feel so lazy. I'm just browsing videos on my phone. My phone receives a notification from Kyle.

Kyle: Y/N...get out of bed.

_'Huh?'_

I look to the closest window, and of course, his window can see right into my room where my bed is. He saw me being lazy.

Y/N: It's not what you think.

Kyle: It's 11 am on a Saturday. I get it.

Y/N: I don't want to get up.

Kyle: You aren't going to stay in bed all day, are you?

Y/N: Bet.

Kyle: Want me to yeet your bed out the window?

Y/N: Finally.

I jump up, fixing my hair, giving him the peace sign from my window. He waves at me, smiling.

Since Butters is grounded, I think I'll visit him. If he can't go to me then I'll go to him. I put on one of my favorite outfits. I throw on my long red scarf that I have had for as long as I can remember. I think it was a gift. I put on a long sleeved black sweatshirt and a black pleated skirt. I'm going all out in cute, with over knee socks and boots.

_'I'm coming Butters!'_

Since they took his phone and Cartman most likely isn't helping him today, I'll bring him some games and let him borrow my handheld console too. Bunbro is going to survive this weekend or I will die trying. I check my phone to see a text from Stan.

Stan: Hi Y/N.

Y/N: Stan! How are you?

Stan: I'm good. Just checking up on you.

What are you up to?

Y/N: Waiting for my husband to return from the war.

Have you seen him? Tall, handsome, muscular, black hair, blue eyes...

Stan: I might have bumped into him a few times [ _wink emote_ ]

Y/N: Cool, can you let Craig know to return home? Thnx.

Stan: Fuck lol

Y/M: I miss you! You know what they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder!

Stan: Guess I'll stay another few weeks.

Y/N: NOOO

Stan: Week 1 down

Y/N: I know! I'm so proud of you! One more week!

Stan: I'll be home in the morning by then.

Y/N: Thanks for letting me know!

Stan: I told the others already so I wanted to make sure you got the memo.

Y/N: Aw...you miss me?

Stan: I miss you bad.

Stan is going to make my blush. I jump on my bed, rolling.

Stan: I heard from Kyle. Cartman is such a dick, sometimes.

Y/n: For real lul

Stan: Want me to kick his ass?

Y/n: No, it's all good.

Stan: I heard Wendy is your partner for a school project...? Will you be okay?

Y/n: I think so. Thanks for worrying.

_'I wonder if I should tell him?'_

I hope he understands me. I don't like keeping too much to myself. Even though, that's what I always do.

By the way...sorry if I'm saying too much...

I hesitate, before sending my next message.

Wendy makes me uncomfortable. She talks about you like you two are still together...

I wait, panicking from the few seconds from the lack of response. My phone rings, Stan is calling me.

Y/N: H-hello?

Stan: What the fuck?

Y/N: Sorry!

Stan: No, I'm not mad at you. Fucking Wendy! This is so aggravating! She’s the one who broke up with me! Don't let her tell you otherwise.

Y/N: It's just, she really doesn't like me talking to you or being your friend.

Stan: Is that what she said? Arghh! So annoying. She's nothing to me! I'm not going to let her stop you from being my friend. You're amazing! One of the best girl friends I've ever had. Not a girlfriend but a girl, who's my friend...you know what I mean!

Y/n: Yeah!

I'm glad he can't see my face. He might see me blushing at his word choice.

Stan: You're like the coolest girl we know. Screw her. Sorry. Tell me if she tries to do anything to you. She's pretty ruthless, self centered, and possessive. Our break up is one of the best things to happen to me.

Y/N: I see. I don't really know what to say. I don't know her like you or the others do.

Stan: Trust me. Don't let her get to you. Dammit! I'm going to fucking yell at her.

Y/n: W-wait! No...I don't want her to even more angry than she already is. I just wanted to tell you how I felt.

I could hear Stan loudly sighing.

Stan: Okay, I won't say anything, but if she does something, tell me right away. Okay? You're important to me.

Y/N: Thanks.

Stan: Take care of yourself, okay? I'll be back soon.

Bye.

Y/n: Bye Stan!

Stan: I really do miss you.

He hangs up before I can respond. I haven't heard Stan worked up like that before. I'm happy I could hear from him despite the context. I'm glad I didn't keep it in. He's a good friend.

I think I'll hit a store on the way to Butters, maybe I'll buy some more groceries for Kenny and Karen. I'm just adding more errands to do but it feels nice to do things for others. Maybe I should drop by Tweek's for some coffee. I'm adding so many things on my to do list today. All these places are scattered and aren't even on the way from each other. I have energy anyways.

First stop is the store. I jog to the store to save some time. I buy some quiet snacks that Butters and some healthy groceries for Kenny. I toss a bottle of vitamins for kids and adults into my cart since my children need their nutrition. I only buy as much as I can carry all the way to Kenny's house on outskirts of town.

The bags aren’t too heavy, but by the time I reach his house, I'm huffing and it feels like I'm carrying bricks of food. Fortunately, the food don't look damaged from my journey. I hope he's home. I pull out my phone.

Kenny: Mph?

Y/n: Ken Ken! Hi! Um...funny story....I'm in front of your house.

Kenny: Mmph?!

I can hear doors slamming within the house and stomping. Kenny opens the door, catching his breath. He throws off his hoodie.

"Y/N? What are you doing here?" He looks up and down, scanning my appearance and grocery bags. I giggle, handing it to him and he grabs them. "Aw...Princess, you didn't have to buy me food again." He gives me a shy smile.

_'I haven't seen that look before, my heart!'_

_"_ I know. It's no biggie. Really." I smile, clasping my hands behind my back. Ever since I came to his home the first time a weeks ago, I would drop by randomly to bring him groceries. I try to buy as much as I can hold without dying on the way to his house from exhaustion. I need to work out my arms more. He nods, taking a second glance at my outfit.

"You look good. You did this for me?" He flirts.

"I'm going to visit BunBun later." I tell him and he hums in response. I follow him to the kitchen where I bump into Karen.

"Big sissy!" She throws her arms around me.

"Hi little sissy, I brought you some treats!" I hand her some candy that I have hidden in my pocket. Her eyes sparkle at the sight of them.

"Thank you!" She reaches for them like I'm offering a priceless artifact.

"You're too cute. makes me want to spoil the heck out of you, hehe."

"You're cuter." Kenny says, putting away the groceries. "I was wondering. Who's my biggest competition?"

"For what, free food?"

"No, for you, Princess." He winks at me.

"I-I'm not a Princess." I blush, glancing at Karen whose eyes are sparkling even more after what her brother said.

"You didn't answer the question."

"There's nothing to compete over," I sigh. "Everyone is my friend."

He chuckles, throwing his arm over my shoulder "You're the best girl in South Park. I'll fight for you even if I have to compete against every single guy in South Park! Even if they're our friends...' he shows me his toothy grin. I puff out my cheeks.

"Anyways, I have to get going now...see you two later!" I rush away, making his arm fall off my shoulder. I wave bye to Karen.

"You scared her away!"

I can hear Karen scold her brother, who chuckles in response.

I'm blushing. At least the cold outdoors will cool my cheeks.

 _'He can't be serious, right?_ Geez _.'_

I’m going to get some coffee now. The route to Tweek’s coffee place doesn’t take long, since I don’t have groceries holding me down. I peak through the window, wondering if Tweek is working today. I can see the Blond wiping down a table near some familiar faces. It seems Craig and Clyde are here too. I always get excited to see my friends.

I tap on the large window, startling Tweek. He smiles as soon as he sees it’s me.I laugh when I see Clyde stand u,p making his chair drop when he sees me, and Craig flipping me off. I give a middle finger to my dear friend, and breathe on the glass to form condensation, so that I can use my finger to write 'HI :) '. Tweek and Craig smile at the message. Clyde hurries outside after he picks up his chair. 

“Hey, what are you doing here?” He pulls me inside. “C'mon, it’s cold.”

”I can’t live without Tweek’s coffee.” I waltz up to Tweek, fixing his shirt like usual.

“Th-thanks.” He fidgets.

“I might as well dress you if I’m fixing your buttons every time I see you.” I tease. Tweek laughs and pulls on his shirt to stop his jittery hands.

”Maybe.” He smiles playfully. He adjusts my red scarf around my neck to make it look more smooth. “Only if I can do the same to you.”

”If I didn’t know any better, I would say you're flirting with me.”

I can hear Craig clear his throat. Tweek twitches while Clyde makes exaggerated noises to grab my attention.

”You look really cute today." Clyde shamelessly checks me out. "Well, you’re always cute but today you’re super cute.” Tweek walks back behind the counter.

”I got a cute date today.” I lie and his jaw drops. Tweek drops something and scrambles to pick it up. Craig scratches the floor as he stands from his chair.

”Who?” Craig says in a low voice. Clyde repeats the same question.

“Starts with an S,” I say with a straight face. Craig walks closer to me and doesn't break eye contact.

”Stan?” He seethes.

”Stripe.” I giggle. Craig relaxes his shoulder.

”You want to visit?”

”Can I? Wait, no, I’m actually planning to drop by Butters soon. I just need to get my coffee fix.” I go to Tweek to order a seasonal flavor.

“You should visit me too.” Clyde shuffles by my side. “It’s not everyday I get to bring a cute girl home.”

”When was the last time?” I ask.

”When was the last time you came again?” He smiles.

' _Geez_...'

“Is every guy in South Park flirty?” I ask seriously.

”Why? Who’s flirting with you?” Clyde asks.

“No one! I think...I’m just a little sensitive since I never had so many guy friends before,” I fiddle with my fingers. “Sometimes, it feels like you and the others are flirting, but I can’t tell.” I laugh at my words “It’s just my imagination, ah, I’m being dumb.” They share glances with each other. ”The coffee smells so good.” I say, running from my own conversation.

”I don’t know about the others...but I’m definitely flirting.” Clyde leans back, with his elbows on the counter in front of me, looking at my face. My face instantly flushes red.

”Huh?” 

“I’m always hitting on you.” He smiles from my reaction. “You’re pretty and an angel...and single? How can I not try to snatch you up?” 

”W-what are you trying to say?” 

”Geezus Y/N, how oblivious are you? I’ll spell it out I-“

Tweek slams my hot drink in front of me, interrupting Clyde. “Here’s your drink! It’s the way you like it! Tell Butters I said hi!” He smiles at me.

”You better get going.” Craig uses his arm to grab Clyde by the neck into a playful chokehold.

”Yeah. I better get going. Bye!” I wave at them as Clyde gulps.

I blow on my drink, strolling to Butters while thinking about what Clyde said. So I'm not just imagining it, or at least, not with Clyde.

 _'He's only flirting since I’m single and new_.' I nod to myself. ' _There’s no way he would ‘like like’ me or something_.'

I brush the sinful thought away.

”Y/N!” A tiny snowball hits me from the street. I look to see Cartman retrieving his arm from the throw. He's with Scott and Timmy. “Gotcha!”

“Eric! What was that for? Hey Scott, hey Timmy!” I walk across the street to them.

”What are you all dressed up for?” Cartman glances at my outfit.

”I’m not dressed up, this is my casual clothes and my favorite scarf. I’m going to see Butters.”

”Why?”

”Bunbro is grounded so I’m going to sneak him some stuff.”

”Want me to do it again? I can do it for a price...”

”Nope, I’ll help him this time, thanks though. How’s it going?” I say to Scott and Timmy.

”Weak.” Cartman says.

”Tim Timmy!” Timmy smiles at me happily. “Timmy Tim Timmy!”

“Oh my gosh, you’re such a gentleman.” I laugh, playfully swatting his arm 

”We’re going to play some ball, you should join us next time.” Scott says.

“Sounds fun! Next time...talk to you guys later!” I say, walking away. I saw almost all of my friends today.

_'Why is today such a good day?'_

I finish my drink, tossing it to a nearby trash can. I practically inhaled the coffee when it got cool enough. I see some figures in the alleyway. As soon as I recognize them, I jog up to them as they turn to me.

”I found you! You, Goths, can’t hide from me!” I sing to them.

”If it isn’t the new girl conformist.” Pete blows a patterned smoke in my direction. I stare at the design in awe.

”Ew, why do you look so happy?” Firkle grimaces at me. “Take your sparkles and sunshine somewhere else.”

“Aw I miss you guys too,” I wiggle at them. “I sensed your cute darkness a mile away,” I coo at them. Henrietta groans but smiles at me.

”You going to join us or just stand there, being annoying?” Michael invites me with a grin.

”No, I don’t smoke and I wish you guys didn’t either...” I pout at them “That pattern was cool though, Pete!” Henrietta blows at me a floral smoke and I watch in amazement. Firkle blows a skull while Michael blows a winged bat.

”How in the world? Wow.” I watch them with sparkly eyes. They stop when I begin coughing from the second hand smoking.

“You don’t belong here in a place like this,” Michael warns me. Pete looks a little concerned with the amount I’m coughing, but looks away when I notice.

”I like you, Goths, you’re so cool.” I confess, finally breathing properly.

”Why? You’re a normie.” Firkle squints at me. For some reason, I feel like he would be the one, most likely to stab me, if any of them were to.

”You spook me, little one.” 

“I’ll cut you if I have to, don’t test me.” He smirks.

”I don’t know why, but I believe you.” I wonder if my senses for hostile natures are better after getting bullied so much. “Even so, I like you, Goths. You don’t treat me badly.” They look at me like I’m strange.

”We don’t treat you good.” Henrietta lifts her eyebrow.

”You don’t treat me _bad_.” I emphasize.

“You’re strange,” Michael tells me.

”Not as strange as carrying a cane around when you don’t need one.” I chuckle.

”How do you know that?” He's amused. I can tell because of my experiences before moving to this town. Having to hide the pain of walking as if I didn’t have a sprained ankle, and moving like cuts and bruises weren’t burning, was second nature at one point.

“I just know/ I like watching you, Goths.”

”Okay, stalker,” Henrietta laughs. I fake a gasp like they uncovered my secret. “What are you up to?”

”Raising the affection of characters to unlock new routes,” I laugh at my own video game talk. “I need the Goths to be my friend to avoid the bad endings.”

”I thought you were a conformist but you’re just a dorky nerd.” Michael laughs.

“Thanks.” I smile at them. “You guys should hit up Tweek’s coffee shop, he makes the best coffee.”

”Only if it’s black.” Pete says.

”Black like Firkle's soul.”

”That must be the blackest coffee.” Firkle smiles. I skip away with my goodbyes. It’s nice being able to say hi to people and they responds back in a positive way.

It’s almost evening by the time I reach Butters' house. I took a lot of detours but I’m sure he’ll be happy to see me. I carefully stalk up to a window to see where his parents are. His dad is reading a newspaper and his mom is watching the television at a high volume.

 _'Good_.'

They won’t hear me. Using my experience of only climbing up a house once, I climb the side of their house using conveniently placed structures to jump to the ledges, leading to Butters room. This is dangerous but they don’t call me Dangerous Y/N for nothing. No one calls me that.

I peek into Butters room, hoping he’s not doing something I’m sure most teen boys do, and to my relief, he isn’t. I might plummet to my death from the embarrassment. I tap his window and he sits up startled from staring at the ceiling. He rushes to the window and opens it.

”Y/N! That’s dangerous, what are you doing?” He quietly shouts. I smirk at him mischievously. I place my hands in his to climb through his window, landing on his carpet with a soft thud.

“I came to save you from boredom, Bunbro!” I say in a more hushed tone.

“I’ll get grounded even harder if they see you, especially since your a girl!”

”Eheh, don’t worry Bun, I’ll hid in the closet or under the bed, or something.” I move my ba, pulling out snacks, video games, and my console. “These are to keep you busy, since I don’t know how long your stupid dad is going to keep you grounded.” I say with anger.

”Gee..thanks.” He smiles, “yep, they’re always like this. It was a lot worse when I was a kid, but I can’t wait until I’m old enough to move out.” 

“Me too. If it ever gets too bad, we can run away together.” I laugh.

“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” his eyes widen at the possibility. 

“Silly.”

We sit on his bed as I watch him play a game on silent.

”Butters!” We hear his dad say from a distance and we look at each other in panic.

I’m too far from the closet and I won't be able to hide under his bed quick enough. Unfortunately, they don’t allow him to lock his door when he's grounded, but at least they have the ‘decency’ to warn him when they're nearby. Butters slides the console under his pillow, and with my quick thinking, I throw his blanket over me while throwing myself on top of him. Hopefully, it's not too obvious that there are two figures under the blanket.

Butters quickly adapts, “yeah dad?” He shouts, and a second later, I can hear his dad flinging the door open.

”Since you’re grounded, I decided you won’t be having any dinner.” I freeze with my body, hugging Butters from his chest down. One of my thighs is in between his leg and I can hear his heart racing with my head against his chest. “I found my charger so you won’t be grounded after tonight.” I’m trying my best to slow down my breathing, but I’m growing increasingly aware of how close we are. Despite his cute face, I can feel how firm his muscles are.

_'Fangirl panic! I'm having a Fangirl Panic!'_

_”_ O-okay.” Butter croaks. I feel something hard start to press against me.

_'B-Butters?'_

”Are you listening, young man?”

”Yes, sir!”

My temperature just tripled. I can hear his dad closing the door and stepping away. Butters slowly lifts the blanket as I pull my face off his chest. My face must be just as red as his. I roll off of him, facing away from him, as he throws a pillow over his lap.

"U-umm..." Butter clears his throat. "S-sorry about that."

"No... it's not your fault. I didn't find a better hiding spot." I nervously giggle. I turn to glance at him, at the same time he turns to look at me, and we laugh. "Th-that was close!"

"I know! I thought he would catch us for sure!" Butters clenches his stomach from laughing.

"Ugh, he's such a dick."

"Y-Y/N...language," he shushes me.

"S-speaking of dicks..." I glance at his pillow with a blush.

"Guys can't always control their natural body response, to a pretty girl throwing themselves on top of them." He mumbles, defending himself. "Sorry..."

"Y-you think I'm pretty?" I say, fixing my skirt properly and feeling self conscious.

"Golly Y/N...have you seen yourself? All the guys do."

"What about you?" I blush. I don't know why I'm pressing him, instead of sweeping everything under the rug.

_'Where is this coming from?'_

"Uh...of course, I do...you're beautiful." We stare at each other with red faces.

"I think you're beautiful too."

"Gee, thanks." He smiles.

"That reminds me..." I say, scooting closer to him again. I trust Butters. "I don't know if I'm imagining it...that our friends are flirting with me...I can't tell, since I'm not used to having so many guy friends," Butter nods at me to continue, "but Clyde confirmed he _has_ been flirting with me."

Butters wrinkles his eyebrows. "He did?"

"Yeah, I wanted him to explain, but Craig started manhandling him." I laugh. "Are all South Park guys flirts?"

"No...I think it's only with you. Don't misunderstand. We all like pretty girls. I admit even me. I can be a little shallow."

"Y-you? You're so sweet though!"

"I'm not an angel like you." Butter smiles. "We flirt with you, but we don't flirt with every girl we see or know. You're different."

"Did you just admit to flirting with me?" I gasp, thinking he's joking.

"You wouldn't know unless I told you. All of us do, except for Token, heh."

"No way!" I say at the realization he's actually not joking.

"Yes way! Maybe at the beginning...they might have been playing around because you're new and pretty. After getting to know you, I can tell they mean it."

"Is it like when I fangirl over you guys?" I say, not fully comprehending.

"Not exactly." He sighs. "You don't do it with the same intentions as us." He pauses, "we like you."

"Awww...I like you guys too." I say, feeling warm and fuzzy inside. I can feel the butterflies fluttering nonstop in my gut at the thought of everybody.

"Yeah...we know." He puts his pillow back behind his head, sliding out the console. I guess he doesn't want to continue the subject.

"I can't believe they aren't feeding you over something so petty." I grumble, remembering what his dad just said.

"I'm used to it. At least you brought me a bunch of snacks." He smiles at me.

"That reminds me, I need to refill the backup food in my locker."

"Oh yeah, Kenny told us. Why do you keep food in your locker?"

"Just in case. It's a force of habit from my old school," I tell him, dropping my smile. "Sometimes, they stole my lunch so I had to keep food for emergencies." He frowns with understanding.

"It won't be like that here." Butter frowns. "We're here."

"Yep! Now I have all of you!" I throw myself over his shoulders into a hug. Butters hugs me tight. After a few hours, Butters watches me with worry, as I carefully leave his window and tip toe from the ledge. When I make it down safety, I wave at him with both of my arms and he relaxes. I fix my favorite red scarf and make my way back home. Butters didn't feel good about me leaving late, but I'm not going to loiter anywhere so I managed to convince him, I would be fine.

I look up at the sky, thankful that South Park has such clear skies. The stars are breathtaking. I would love to get an even better view, maybe somewhere higher up.

My thoughts get rudely interrupted when I'm shoved from behind to the ground. I hit the icy pavement hard.

"Ouch." I barely turn, before receiving a swift kick to the back of my head.


	24. New Faces

I blacked out for a few seconds. I struggle to focus my blurry vision. My head pounds from where I was kicked. 

_‘W-what just happened?’_

My back is on the cold pavement. The faraway stars shimmers at the distance, out of reach.

"I recorded that, heh."

"You kicked her too hard."

"She's not dead, she'll be fine."

"She deserves it."

"Hey, are you listening?”

"Get up Bitch!"

I hazily look towards the voices. It's a handful of teenage girls I barely recognize from the same school. The only interactions we have ever had were from when they joined Wendy's crew in harassing me between classes. The dumb name calling, gossiping, and shoving were all they did up to this point. My head hurts too much for me to think properly. The only thing I know is that I'm scared. This is too similar. Every fiber of my being is screaming telling me I'm scared. I groan, shaking my head, attempting to make the dizziness and pain go away. I slowly push myself up, focusing on the faces. My body involuntarily starts to shake from the memory.

"Stay away from the boys!" One girl yells at me.

"Clyde is mine!"

"Kyle is too good for you!"

"Everyone knows you slept with all of them!" Another scowls at me.

"What a slut,” a girl laughs.

_‘O-oh I see_.’

I'm one so I know one when I see one. I'm a fangirl too, but I'm not a _crazy_ one like these girls are.

_"_ W-what was that for? That really hurt!" I yell, hoping they snap out of it.

"Think of it as a warning. We're not happy with you, especially _her_." A girl spits at me. 

_‘Her_?’

I won't make assumptions. I really don't want to hit a fellow girl but this is why I took defense classes. I stand up wobbling, bringing up my arms, ready to defend myself.

_‘On second thought_...’

While rubbing my head, I decide to make a run for it instead. I rather not fight if possible since everyone gets hurt. I make a dash for it, but they yell after me, chasing me down. Truth is, I can't bring myself to hit a girl. They remind me of _**her** , _consumed by emotions and blinded by their irrational feelings of _“_ love _”_. I rather get hit than hit them.

I run, trying to lose them, but they are gaining speed. I run through a park, hoping that will get them off my tail. Someone yanks me from behind as I'm making my way past a tree. They're really strong. I begin to struggle as they grip me, pulling me towards them.

"Y/N...stop." A deep gruff voice quietly speaks. He pulls me towards him and I recognize the stunning blue eyes behind the black mask. He's wearing a dark cape and a question mark on his head. 

_‘It's Ke-Mysterion!’_

He takes advantage of me being starstruck _an_ d lifts us up a tree with great stealth. I don't even know how he's strong enough to climb all the way up the tree with me in his arms.

_‘Superheroes_... _are very cool._ _Super cool!’_

We look down, with one of his arms wrapped around me and my hands to his chest.

"Where is she?"

"She went that way!"

"She can't be far."

Their feet trample beneath us, and we wait, until we can barely hear their shouting.

"Are you okay?" Mysterion asks in his signature deep voice I heard last time. 

_‘To be honest, it's hot. He's hot. Yes.’_

"You're hot." I accidentally blurt out.

"W-what?" Mysterion voice cracks and I hear Kenny for a second.

"Sorry, I was fangirling." I giggle, moving myself away just a bit. "That’s embarrassing...hi Mysterion." I blush.

He smirks, "oh, you have a crush on Mysterion?" He returns to his gruff voice. I stay silent, not ready to admit it, but not willing to deny it. I think right now I separate Mysterion and Kenny as an identity. They're way too different. Mysterion smiles wider, taking my silence as a yes. "What about Kenny?" He says, drawing me back to him with the arm he still has wrapped around me. I back up too fast, disturbing the thick tree branch we're standing on.

"They're not the same person. Kenny is my cute pervy friend and Mysterion is a sexy superhero." I rationalize and this brings him to a chuckle.

"You really don't make things easy," Mysterion says, “do you, Princess?” 

_‘Oh my gos! Mysterion called me princess!’_

Mysterion inches his head closer and closer to my face. "You're blushing,” he whispers deeply.

"N-never mind, I don't like Mysterion anymore." I shake my head, pulling away "I didn't know he's a tease like Kenny." I pout, wiggling away from him as he holds me from falling off the tree.

"Christ Y/N!” He laughs, "you're going to make us fall."  
"So be it! I don't want to live in a world without Mysterion!" I move, bouncing the branch beneath us.

"Don't ever say that," he hugs me while laughing. He stops when he notices how quiet I have gotten.

"Y/N?”

"Never mind. You and Kenny are the same." I acknowledge, hiding my face. "You're both protective of me." I smile and he gives me a cocky grin similar to one Kenny showed me earlier today. "Thanks for saving me."

"Why were those girls following you? I recognized you because of your red scarf." He says.

"I don't know. I'm not entirely sure, to be honest." I answer. "They pushed me and kicked my head really hard, I'm probably going to feel this in the morning." I laugh. Mysterion doesn't laugh with me, though.

"Where did they kick you?" He reaches for the spot I point to and I flinch away when he barely touches it. "They hurt you." Mysterion looks angry, really angry. I'm a little startled from the expression since he never shows me that expression as Kenny.

"They..." I begin, not sure if I really want to tell him, "don't like that I'm friends with you guys." He furrows his eyebrows. "Just my luck, huh? I make the coolest friends and the world doesn't want me around them."

"No...we would be the unlucky ones if you weren't around us." He clenches his teeth. "So much of South Park sucks and it finally started sucking less when you came." He composes himself when he sees my worried expression. "I'll take you home." Mysterion picks me up from beneath my legs. Being carried bridal style is overdrive for a fan like me. He sprints from tree to tree before landing us gracefully on the ground. 

"Thanks Ke-Mysterion. You can let go now. I can walk," I tell him.

"You're hurt."

"Just my head. Not anywhere else." I laugh. He smiles at me, still not letting go and walks in the direction of my home.

"You're really strong, huh?" I say.looking at his arms.

"You like?" He grins.

"Well yeah, but that's not the point. All of you look pretty strong, even underneath all the winter clothes."

"You admit you check us out." He quirks his eyebrows and I roll my eyes.

"Everyone has super powers, right? How did you guys get them and why don't you always use them? That's pretty amazing. If I could run at hyper speed, like Fast Pass, I would do it all the time."

"We're not really sure how they got it. It happened one day after we threw the Stick of Truth into the lake. It's the game relic we played with when we were younger...” I nod, having heard about it. “The next day they noticed they had real super powers. In their case, most of them don't have powers without their super costumes on.”

"Most of them? What about you?" I look at him while he faces forward. "I read online that you can't die. It might have just been fan made or something. A lot of the superhero info I read online were mostly old rumors and speculations, gathered over the years by supporters.”

"We keep on the down low nowadays. It’s like an unspoken rule among us not to talk about our superhero business outside our superhero lairs. There aren't as many supervillains and it's a dangerous job." He says, not answering all my questions. "Sometimes, we patrol but we usually don't do it all together on the same nights anymore. It splits up the burden.”

"I see. Thanks for telling me all this. I know everything, about the Coon and Friends and Freedom Pals, are supposed to be top secret."

"You're one of our best friends now. We'll tell you anything you want to know," he finally looks down to me. "Well, almost anything."

"Fair enough." I smile, happy to be called one of his best friends. We're getting close to my house. I'm surprised no one has seen us. "What if I become a supervillain?" I give him a teasing smile.

"Like what...Dark Princess Y/N? Fallen Angel Y/N? Sounds pretty hot to be honest, I might have to lock her away myself." He licks his lips.

I smack his chest. "Don't get all pervy on me, MysteryKen."

"Heh." He takes me close to my house, and then he hops from structure to structure, bringing me to my bedroom window.

"Umm...why didn't we take the front door?"

"It's more superhero-y this way." He declares.

"Now you're just making stuff up." I laugh. Mysterion unlocks my window with ease.

_’Actually, a little too much ease...is it really that easy to get into my bedroom window or are the superheroes just pro home invaders?’_

Mysterion helps me into my room. "Will you be all right by yourself?" He looks around,noticing an empty driveway and looks back to me.

"I'll be okay, thanks for saving me again."

"Call me, if you need me. I'll come running." He tells me with his usual serious Mysterion expression.

"Okay. My hero!” I clasp my hands together next to my cheek and he chuckles.

"Bye Princess,” he jumps away and I go to watch him, but he's already out of sight. My head throbs when I remember back to the girls and I go to clean up and change into my pajamas.

Today was wild. I kind of felt up my best friend. Apparently, Clyde is attracted to me as a girl. A group of girls assaulted me and threatened me. Mysterion saved me and my head freaking hurts. I go to find some pain killers and that's when I remember I didn't really eat today. I didn't get out of bed til almost noon and then I had some coffee. I go down to the kitchen, looking for something to eat, while reminiscing about Kyle's dinners. I head to bed, preparing to sleep in tomorrow.

The door bell rings a few times, beckoning me out of bed, and I approach it cautiously. It’s really late into the night. I peak into the peephole, recognizing a green hat and gleaming emerald eyes. I open the door for him. 

"Kyle?"

He doesn't say a word and rushes to hug me, almost knocking me backwards.

"Ky?"

He holds me tighter. "Where did they hurt you?" He shouts, slightly out of breath. I realize he must have found out and rushed to see me, since he appears to be in pajamas as well, despite the hat. "Are you okay?”

"I-I'm okay!" I pat his arms to calm him down. "They only kicked me here." I motion the specific area of my head. He brings his hand to hover over the spot, before clenching his hand into a fist.

"I'm sorry, I'm wasn't there." He frowns, casting his sensitive eyes away.

"What? You didn't know, how could you have known?" I say, bringing his eyes back to mines.

"Does it hurt?"

"Like Hell," I laugh. "I took some pain killers though."

"Did you eat?" I respond by nodding. Kyle is very caring.

_'Best neighbor ever. Thank you South Park Gods.'_

"I'll come over tomorrow, afternoon. If you have any errands, we'll do them together, okay?"

I nod again. "Thank you Kyle, you're so sweet."

"It's the least I can do. I'm your neighbor and your friend. If you need me, I'll jump from my window to your window, if I have to."

"Oh my goodness, you'll fall in between," I laugh.

"You're right. Let's build a bridge or something," he suggests with a smile.

"I don't think my parents would be happy seeing a pathway from my bedroom to yours."

"A rope can work." He mentions earnestly.

"Kyle!" I playfully smack his arm while still in his arms.

"I'm glad you're laughing," he smiles.

"Thanks to you!" I say to him. The cool air behind Kyle hits us, making us both shiver from the contact. It's really cold at night. Kyle suddenly lets go of me with a reddening face, looking away.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He steps back toward the front door.

"Okay, bye Ky. Good night."

"Good night." He smiles before walking away. I watch him head to his door. I wave to him, when he sees me, still watching. It really is cold. I'm halfway up the stairs when I remember.

_'I'm not wearing a bra under my pajamas! I mean who does?'_

I look down to see the outline visible through the shirt, hardened from the cold.I dash to my bed, almost screaming from embarrassment, and throwing a pillow over my head. 

_'Cute neighborhood Jewish redhead...please don't think I'm some immodest person. I promise only my fangirl mind is.'_

I fall asleep while thinking of such thoughts.

The sound of my phone wakes me up. I need a new ringtone. My head still really hurts. I drowsily get up to get more painkillers. The events play through my mind like a comic slideshow. I must be going crazy. I do my daily routine including a long shower. I put on a long shirt dress, with leggings underneath, and some shorts. I particularly like this shirt because of the oversized cat logo. By the time I check my phone, I see the group chat with a bunch of notifications and some missed calls from Stan. Prioritizing the calls first, I ring up the man, Stan. He picks up after it rings only once.

Stan: Y/N! Are you okay?

Y/N: Stan, I'm fine!

Stan: I almost smashed my phone when I saw the video! I'll come back to South Park right now!

Y/N: What? No, no! I'm fine! You have one more week and a half! What video?

Stan: Kenny told us what happened last night in the guys' chat. Not long after, someone uploaded a video of you, being shoved to the ground, and kicked on the head. They uploaded it on an anonymous Coonstagram account. We're going to fuck em up when we find them!

Y/N: Oh...I didn't know they recorded it...that's messed up.

Stan: Kenny said they threatened you because you're friends with us.

Y/N: Yeah...

Stan: Was it Wendy? Did she do this?

Y/N: No! I...I don't know. It was a group of girls from our school. They're friends with Wendy but it wasn't anyone I knew by name.

Stan: Fuck. This is bullshit. You're our friend, they don't have a right to try to make us not be friends with you. What the fuck?

Y/N: It's fine, I'm fine. My head hurts but nothing some painkillers can't help. Thanks for worrying about me.

Stan: Why wouldn't I? You helped me and now, when you need my help, I'm all the way out here, dammit.

Y/N: Hey, hey. You do a lot for me too. You're friendship means so much to me. Kyle is coming over today to help me do some errands and stuff. I think he's worried I'll get attacked if I go outside again, but I think it was just an off chance thing. Wrong place at the wrong time, like that time those druggies almost got me, and everyone saved me.

Stan: I'll do it again. Saving you that night, made me proud to be Toolshed again. I haven't felt that way in a while.

Y/N: You should always be proud! You guys are the superheroes of South Park! I don't know, what could be more amazing than that.

Stan: Thanks.

Y/N: I'm fine right now, really. You should also be proud you're halfway through the hardest part of rehab. Afterwards. it's just smaller sessions right?

Stan: Yep. I only have to attend those weekly and then biweekly, and then so on. It'll be easier to do since it's in South Park so the commute won't be bad. I rather use that time to play video games with you or something. Waste of a few hours...

Y/N: It's not a waste! It's productive for your future! We have lots of time to spend together.

Stan: Yeah and no one will get in the way of that.

Y/N: Nope! They won't. Thanks for worrying about me, I appreciate you. Thanks for calling me too.

Stan: No problem....I have to go, the place doesn't want us to stay on the phone too long.

Y/N: I miss you! There, I got to say it before you hung up, heh.

Stan: I miss you too. Bye.

Y/N: Bye!

Talking to Stan makes me happy. Ever since he called me kind of drunk that night, I have gotten used to chatting with him on the phone. Previously, Butters was the only one I would speak to on the phone, except when he's grounded. Being phone buddies is pretty nice. I don't include the voice chats we have over video games with the rest of the gang.

' _Good times...good times..._ '

That wasn't even a long time ago.

**Group Chat:**

**Tokn:** Y/N, I can hire some bodyguards for you.

Just say the word. 

**JimJams:** I can do it for free, no charge!

**CoonMan:** They’re tainting the good name of Coonstagram!

I'm going to fight some bitches!

This is MY town!

No one hurts my sidekick, Y/N!

**Craigbot:** I’m about to go to jail for murder, who’s with me?

**Bodyguard_Clyde:** I’m in dude.

**Sweetweek:** Ah! No murder!

We can...

We can serve them the hottest coffees and burn their tongues!

**Tokn:** That’s pretty diabolic lol

**JimJams:** Only to coffee lovers like Y/N though lol

**Chaotic_Bun:** I still can't believe this happened after she came to visit me.

I should have stopped her from leaving.

**Tokn:** No one knew this was going to happen.

**Y/N_chan:** True! It's not your fault Bunbun! I should have been more cautious!

I don't even know when they started following me.

I said I would be more careful but I only made everyone worried.

**Chaotic_Bun:** Y/N T___________________________T

You came to cheer me up when I'm grounded.

How can this happen?

**Tokn:** Are you doing okay Y/N?

**JimJams:** Y/N babe!

**Y/N_chan:** I am! I'm doing fine, everyone! Thank you!

My head just has a tiny bump! It's a little swollen.

Painkillers are a Godsend right now.

**Kyl:** I'm coming over in a few hours.

Do you need an ice pack?

Don't go out alone, okay?

**Y/N_chan:** Oh! Good idea, I'll apply ice to it. I won't go out alone today, no worries.

I feel kind of sick that they uploaded a video.

**CoonMan:** I got it taken down as soon as possible, no worries.

**Sweetweek:** Y/N! If you need coffee today, it's on me!

I practically had a panic attack when I saw the video.

**Bodyguard_Clyde:** I'll deliver it to you!

No one hurts Y/N and gets away with it!

**Y/N_chan:** Omg! Yes Tweek! Thank you, I love your coffee!!!

Thanks Clyde!

Take care of yourself, Tweek! No need to panic over me.

**Sweetweek:** I Can't HElp It!1

**Craigbot:** Y/N, I don't know what exactly those bitches said to you, but don't listen to a word they said.

They don't own us or you. 

**Bodyguard_Clyde:** It's because we're too popular.

I'll take responsibility and protect you, Y/N.

I can be by your side 24/7, if you let me .

**MysteriKen:** Me too.

Even if you don't know it.

**CoonMan:** Oh, that would be a good idea.

Y/N, you can live with me if u want.

I can make a spare room.

**Kyl:** What are you up to, Fatass?

**CoonMan:** Me? Nothing. It would just be easier to keep her safe.

**Kyl:** She would be more in danger with you though.

**CoonMan:** Nuh uh.

**Kyl:** Uh, yeah huh!

**CoonMan:** Stop getting in my way, Jew!

**Kyl:** You're not going to keep her in your house, Fatty!

**Y/N_chan:** I'm fine, really!

Ky lives across from me. Best neighbor ever!

**Kyl:** Yep! I'm always here for you.

**CoonMan:** Weak.

**Y/N_chan:** Seriously, what would I do without all of you?

You're my bestest friends in the world.

**Craigbot:** You too. [ _middle finger emote_ ] 

**Sweetweek:** You're my best friend too.

**Kyl:** Best friend and best neighbor!

**Bodyguard_Clyde:** You're best girl and best friend [ _heart emote_ ]

**CoonMan:** You're decent. 

**Tokn:** It would be weird to imagine school without you now.

**JimJams:** It's fun hanging out with you.

I need more Y/N's in the world to laugh at my jokes.

**Chaotic_Bun:** GEEE look at all the fellas who want to steal my bestie position tsk tsk.

**MysteriKen:** Share!

**CoonMan:** Too much sappiness, I'm going to die.

**Y/N_chan:** I feel so loved [ _crying emote_ ]

**MysteriKen:** I don’t mean to change the subject, but Y/N has a crush on Mysterion.

**Y/N_chan:** .....

**Chaotic_Bun:** WHAT WHAT WHAAAAAT?!

**Coonman:** Are you Kahl’s mom or something?

No she doesn't, poverty boy.

**Bodyguard_Clyde:** You have a crush on Kenny?!

[ _screaming emote_ ]

**Craigbot:** Seriously?

**Y/N_chan:** Noo! I don't have a crush on Kenny!

Mysterion is just my fav superhero! I just think he’s really reallyyy cool!

Plus, he saved me again.

**MysteriKen:** Same thing [ _sunglasses emote_ ] Kenny = Mysterion

**Y/N_chan:** No, no, it’s not the same thing, superhero persona =/= irl persona

**MysteriKen:** That’s not what you said last night [ _wink emote_ ]

**Y/N_chan:** Why are you saying it like that?

**Bodyguard_Clyde:** Y/N...How do you feel about Mosquito?

**Y/N_chan:** He can suck me anytime...

**Bodyguard_Clyde:** Can I?!

**Y/N_chan:** Then you would die from blood poisoning because I don't eat my veggies.

**Bodyguard_Clyde:** Your blood smells pretty good though, ngl

**Y/N_chan:** Are you a vampire? Vampires are hot.

**Craigbot:** He's not, he's just a pointy insect.

**Bodyguard_Clyde:** That's not the only thing I have that's long and hard.

**Y/n has left the chat.**

**Clyde has invited Y/N to the chat.**

**Y/N has entered the chat.**

**Bodyguard_Clyde:** I was kidding!

**Y/N_chan:** Heh.


	25. New Fix

I'll ask Kyle to bring his cutie pie brother, Ike. I'm no cradle robber but I bet he’s going to grow up handsome. His parents told me. over one of their dinners. that Ike is adopted from Canada. Despite living in South Park all his life, he's very much Canadian at heart. I clean myself up and eat some breakfast. Having friends makes me feel like I can take on the world. I run to the door when my doorbell rings.

"Ky! Thanks for bringing Ike! Hey Ikey!"

"Ello Y/N," Ike says with his teeth sparkling. "I heard you're not doing so hot, eh." He checks my condition, no longer reserved around me like his first visit.

"I'm good, just a little headache," I say, letting the boys in.

"Want me to kiss your boo-boo for you?" Ike innocently asks.

"Aw, thank you sweety. The thought is enough to heal me already!"

"Yikes, careful Y/N. He likes older ladies and I mean a lot older." Kyle laughs. I join him, thinking he's joking, until I see Ike give us a devilish grin.

'Never mind about cradle robbers, we have little mister grave robber over here!'

"Ike! I didn't know you're a lil player." I joke.

"A man like me knows what he wants." The kid shrugs. "Don't worry, even I wouldn't think to touch my bro's lady." He playfully elbows Kyle.

"Ike!" Kyle blurts, flustered by his little sibling's words. "Uh, do you need help with anything Y/N?" Kyle hurriedly changes the subject.

"I need me some coffee." I laugh, "I haven't asked Clyde to fetch it yet. Can we do some homework? I want to get that done before anything else."

"Of course" Kyle obliges, "I brought my backpack, just in case, you asked."

Ike groans. "Ugh, c'mon. Let's do something fun."

"Um, how bout I let you use my pc? I bet my internet is way faster than yours. Low ping, no lag!"

"Really? Sweet. Did you get the new mechanical keyboard and gaming mouse?" He smiles, when he sees me nod, and races up the stairs. Luckily, I had the foresight to predict Ike going on my pc, so I made sure nothing risky was open, like say, an M rated fic.

Kyle walks to my kitchen before me, "I'm glad you look a lot better than yesterday."

"I've had better days that's for sure."

Kyle pulls out a chair and sits in the one next to it.

"You're always a gentleman." I giggle.

"Let's get this out of the way." He takes out his books and we get working. When we're practically done with all our worksheets, I throw a quick text to the group chat, letting Tweek and Clyde know I'm in for my caffeine fix. Tweek prepares me the biggest size and Clyde lets me know he's on his way. We decide to make sandwiches for lunch. First we go to visit Ike, only to burst out laughing, when we see him shit talking, during a competitive game with a Canadian spin.

”Eh? Fuck you, buddy! ” He roars into my headset. “Oh yea, wells how about you have a fan-fucking-tastic day, friend! I'm not your bro, buddy! ”

We quietly walk away, and Kyle confesses to playing a mean game with Ike, when they were younger called kick the baby. He confirms it was exactly how it sounds, much to my horror.

”Why would you do that? And why would you tell me that?"

”Siblings can be mean sometimes but I learned a lot since then. I was a little asshole.” He admits sadly. “I thought it would be better if you heard it from me. It would suck if Fatass told you before I got the chance to.”

“Wow...” I say, taking it in.

”You probably don’t think I’m a gentleman anymore.” He chuckles forcefully.

“No, not at all. It takes courage to admit to wrong doings, but it’s even better if you learn from it, and never do it again. Remorse and repentance...kind of dealio.” I tell him. “I can tell you both care for each other very much. I wish I had siblings.”

“I bet you would be the cutest sister.” Kyle compliments me.

”Maybe...or the most annoying.” I say as I grab some bread for the sandwiches. Kyle helps me prepare enough, in case Clyde wants one. We give the fearsome gamer Ike his sandwich, as he spews creative curses towards unsuspecting enemies in game. Kyle welcomes Clyde into my home as he hands me my piping hot coffee.

”Y/N...let me kiss your booboo.” Clyde hugs me as I juggle the coffee, preventing it from spilling.

I snicker, ”you’re not the first to offer.”

”Who?” He gasps and turns to Kyle “I knew it! Everyone wants my Y/N!” He says, dramatically shielding me from Kyle.

”She means Ike. He's upstairs.” Kyle explains. “Do you want one?” Kyle hands him a sandwich which Clyde happily accepts. He's such a Puppy.

”I can’t believe you got attacked Y/N." Clyde eats his sandwich, "the guys and I are thinking of escorting you everywhere until we find those girls.”

“That’s nice, but a bit overkill. I don’t want you guys to fuss too much over me.“

“If you say so. We’re going to find who did this, and make them pay!” Clyde takes a bite.

”How?”

Kyle speaks up, “Fatass suggested we do the same thing they did to you and upload the video to humiliate them. Obviously, that’s terrible idea, so we all agreed to notify to the school when we catch them. Even if we really really want them to give them a world of hurt, there’s other ways to go about it.” Clyde confirms his words with a nod.

“That sounds reasonable...” I say, suppressing unpleasant memories. “Don’t get too worked up for me.” I advise them.

”You’re calmer than I thought you would be.” Clyde blinks at me, thoughtfully.

”I didn’t notice,” I widen my eyes in realization. “I think it’s because everyone is upset enough for me. They could have done a lot worse.”

”That’s one way of looking at it.” Kyle replies, "you’re optimistic.” 

”It was tame.”

”As compared to what?” He asks.

“Can I have another sandwich?” Ike yells from upstairs.

”Right away, Ike!” I shout to him, leaving the question unanswered. Clyde decides to stick around, laying on my couch while watching me ice my head.

"Ky, I saw you have a treehouse," I try to make conversation, "can I visit?"

"Sure, it's not much though. Sometimes, Ike plays in it with his friends."

"Oh! Come to my tree house instead Y/N! You'll love it, it's huge!" Clyde sits up.

"How huge?"

"Good idea, Clyde. It would be funner to visit yours, actually." Kyle agrees.

Ike heads back home before we lock up my house. He proudly announced to us about his perfect kill streak. I receive a text from Craig asking how I'm doing. I let him know I'm fine and that we're visiting Clyde's treehouse. I don't get a chance to wait for a response, because I see two strange beings on the street.

'Is that a walking towel? Is that a walking piece of shit?'

"Do you want to get high?" The glazed eyed fabric asks the boys.

'Is that a talking towel?'

"Howdy hooo!" The brown creature energetically spouts.

'Is that a talking piece of shit?'

I hesitantly wave at them.

"Not now, Towelie." Clyde tells him. "You need to lay of the stuff dude, help him out, Mr. Hanky." The Mr. Hanky does a flip in the air in response.

"We're busy, bye Towelie." Kyle waves. "See ya Mr. Hanky."

"Don't forget to bring a towel!" The blue cloth says to us as we walk away.

"I...hm...okay." I choose to accept it without a fight, as the boys chuckle to themselves. I rub Rex's belly once I see him at Clyde's house. When Clyde points up to his tree house, I gawk at the massively tall structure, I didn't even notice when I first came to visit.

"Who built this? It's huge! Can I live here?"

"You can live here, rent free, anytime, babe!" Clyde gets excited from the idea.

"Dude, who is even maintaining your treehouse, it still looks dope." Kyle whistles. They let me climb first as I suspiciously side eye Clyde, and I cover my behind. He innocently smiles at me. Kyle notices and makes him go before me. After climbing up, we take in the well built structure of the place. We continue upward until we see a blue hat, blue eyed teen, catching a ball with one hand.

"Took you long enough." Craig casually tosses the ball.

"Since when were you here?" Clyde laughs at our visitor.

"Got here in a bit after Y/N said you were on your way." Craig smirks, checking my head. "At least, your head hasn't swelled up like Mr. Mackey."

"Oh no! I'm feeling the 'M'kays'!" I shout while laughing. "M'kay!" I cry out. Craig reaches out and gently caresses my head. I blush at the tenderness and he smiles warmly at me.

"Hey, lay off the girl, Craigy." Clyde peers at him. "Not in my treehouse."

"Craigy? Oh I should call you that. Clydey and Craigy."

"Trying out nicknames Y/N-y?" Kyle says.

"Yep Ky, I'm trying out Ky right now, heh." We explore Clyde's large treehouse as he gives us a tour of their memories. Craig betrayed Cartman for Clyde, and Kyle joined his enemy Cartman to take him down. Apparently, Clyde dramatically fell off the tree, after they defeated him. It sounded like Dovahkiin was the central character in everything. They really went all out in their fantasy game.

"Let's head back," Kyle tells me when the sun begins to set.

"I'll come with." Craig invites himself. I thank Clyde for showing me his treehouse and we leave.

"How's the investigating going?" Kyle asks Craig as we walk.

"We narrowed down the group of girl, but not the exact ones who got physical with her. We're going to interrogate at school tomorrow. Someone is actively sabotaging our online efforts."

I silently listen as they talk amongst themselves. Kyle quietly mumbles something about Call girl to him, which I couldn't make out. I'm grateful they care so much, but it feels weird. I'm not used to people caring so much. When our house is in sight, Craig pats my head and calls me a shorty, so I try to fight him as he leaves. Kyle invites me for dinner and I happily accept, reminding him my parents will be back tomorrow. I dream peacefully thanks to my friends caring for me.

The next morning, I hand Kenny a specially prepared lunch to carry, earning twinkles from his eyes. Kenny, Kyle, and I wait at the bus stop as a Cartman creeps up on our lineup. "Man...I'm seriously going to find those girls and kick them on the head. I swear, I'll do it."

"We already talked about this, Fatty." Kyle sighs. I give a heavy sigh, making the guys look at me.

"Wendy and I only have four more days to work on our school project due this Friday. I have class with her today and Wed, but that's not enough time. She is probably going to tell me to skip lunch to work with her, since she won't work with me outside of school." I sigh again.

"Mmmph mmpht." (That sucks balls)

"Sounds annoying," Cartman responds, "being annoying is a Wendy expertise."

"Want us to hang with you during lunch? That way, she won't try anything." Kyle suggests.

"No...I think everyone might distract me," I laugh, "and I don't think Wendy would be happy to see you, guys."

They shrug, not pushing it. When we get to school, I give Tweek a hug for the coffee, as he mumbles about constantly being worried about me. 

"Thanks for worrying, Tweeki-khins. You'll make me worried, if you worry too much."

"GAH!" He shouts.

"Me too, Tweek. Me too." I hold his hand, trying to relax him.

"It's really too much stress! I drank three cups of coffee to calm myself down, but it's not working!" He twitches in my hand.

"I feel you. I think you should try drinking less coffee or sticking to decaf. Too much of anything is bad. Moderation is key."

He nods while listening intently. I see a miserable looking Butters as he walks up tot my locker.

"Oh hamburgers, Y/N," is all he says as he picks at his knuckles.

"Stop blaming yourself," I hug the small bean.

"I hope we find those girls soon." He says. Nichole, Token, Scott, and Jimmy show up, offering me encouraging words. I blush from the attentive care I'm being showered with.

Class goes by too quickly, as I sweat bullets in preparation to work with Wendy. When the next class starts, our teacher announces that both of our classes, before the due date, will be dedicated only to in-class time with our partners for our project. Wendy goes to the teacher and gets pre-approved for our dismissal to the computer lab for both days. For some reason, no one else thinks to do the same. Perhaps, they have already finished their research over the weekend.

I can't help but feel envy. If only my partner was the cutie Yaoi artist, the quiet but mysterious Dovahkiin, or one of the cool Goths. There's no use crying over spilled milk. Wendy doesn't even bother to greet me as she tells me to follow her. The computer lab is empty with just the sounds of us, typing and clicking, several computers away from each other.

"I saw the video." Wendy grins while looking at the screen, and I choose not to respond.

"Karma is sweet," she laughs, earning no reaction from me. "What, you don't think I have anything to do with it, do you?"

"I'm not going to assume anything."

"Good, because I prefer doing it nice and slow." She tells me sweetly.

'That's what she said.' I can hear an imaginary Kenny muffle.

"I don't control how the other ladies operate, but I won't stop them either." She quietly mumbles about how it 'pleases and sparkles', which I don't understand.

"I know you all don't like me, but don't involve my friends too. It's a headache enough as it is." I grumble. I bemoan the fact I have to work through lunch with her. Some of the other cheerleaders I can recognize, visit her and sneak her some lunch, since food in the computer lab is prohibited. I want to eat too, but I push to complete as much as possible since it relies on collaboration. I don't feel like I can trust her not to do something to my computer, while it's logged in with my private school credentials. I choose not to step away even for five minutes. I need to be cautious.

The boys can sense my exhaustion, when they see me, by the time our next class begins. They tell me how they missed me during lunch, and I return the same sentiments. Kenny thanks me for the lunch and asks if I ate anything, but since I don't want to make him feel bad about being the only one to eat my food, I say a white lie.

The girls at school refuse to snitch, or reveal any information regarding the main perpetrators, and online investigations were going nowhere. However, the guys let me know they have their ways of getting what they want, especially the pro information gatherer, Jimmy. The next evening, they reveal they finally know exactly who did it. Instead of confronting them, they will tell the school tomorrow like they initially agreed to do.

Unfortunately, they aren't able to, because by Wednesday morning, they spam the group chat. Stan, who is constantly being updated, and I are informed that the girls who hurt me were attacked last night. The girl who kicked me was attacked on the way home and had her leg broken by an unknown assailant. The girl who pushed me had her wrists majorly sprained. The girl who recorded the video had her phone destroyed. If they say anything to the school now, it would point to me as the prime suspect, since there could be no other motive.

To avoid getting me into trouble, we agree not to tell the school about what happened to me. At first, we suspect Cartman, but he insists he was in detention. Lucky for him, Craig happened to be in detention too, so he was able to back up his claim. We have no idea who did it, but since no culprit was confirmed, the hostility from the girls at school towards me doubles. The gossips accuse me for doing that to the poor girls.

When we get to school, the guys immediately pull down papers taped to my locker that say 'brain dead bitch', 'sore loser', 'trash', 'they should have kicked harder', and more. This only makes the boys more protective of me, and they seem to be on edge at anyone who walks even a little too close by me.

"You didn't do anything!" Butter quietly says since class is in session.

"I know, but I can't help but feel like it's my fault."

We turn, catching a few students gossiping a few desks away. My friends shoots them eye daggers, making the students immediately shut their mouths.

Cartman grumbles to himself and breaks his pencil. "Aw, Goddammit."

"We finally figure it out, but someone beat us to it." Craig mutters, still glaring at the gossipers.

Clyde puts his hands behind his head, "Y/N is the victim here. Why are they acting like this towards her?"

Butters looks at me sadly. "Hamburgers...they just want a reason to hate her more."

"Tell us if they do anything." Kyle tells me, while Jimmy and Token speak up to side with him.

"Ah Christ! This is too much PRESSURE!" Tweek is unable to contain his shrieks.

"Quiet back there." The teacher scolds us.

I'm not happy, but seeing Wendy as soon as my second class starts, doesn't make it any better. I missed two lunches, because of her insistence not to work outside of school, and now I'm going to miss a third one. At least, tomorrow is the last lunch I have with her, and I think we'll be able to finish on time with a good grade.

"You look happy for someone who likes to break people's legs." Wendy cackles at me while we're the only ones in the computer lab. It's only empty when class is in session during this time, but when lunch arrives, people come in to use the computers.

"I don't know who did it, and I don't know why they did it." I frown.

"You don't need to give me excuses, I can't think of you any less than I already do."

"Yeah, yeah." I wave her off to her annoyance. "I'm just happy I don't have to work with you anymore after tomorrow."

"Likewise." She sneers.

Friday arrives and I do a mini dance at the bus stop, feeling happy for the headache to be over. My project with Wendy is finally complete and we're turning it in today. Stan is coming next Wednesday and I can finally have lunch with the guys again. The gossiping at school has exploded this week, but I'm not as agitated by it as my friends are. They have been quick to yell or try to fight anyone they overhear trying to say anything remotely bad about me. This should settle after today, I hope.


	26. New Lies

In the middle of our morning class, the speakers buzzes, catching all of our attentions.

"Junior student Y/N L/N. Y/N LN. Please come to the Principal's Office, immediately. I repeat.” PC Principal announces over the intercom. I look at the guys quizzically as they share an equally confused expression. I nervously get up, since I have never been called to see PC Principal before.

Jimmy stands up with me, "Teacher, I will go wi-wi-wi-with Y/N." They nod, dismissing us and not caring the least bit, as we leave the classroom together.

"Thanks for coming with me, Jimmy. I wonder what he wants." I'm curious.

"No problem. He can be a b-b-bi-bit much." He smiles at me. We arrive to the office, opening the doors to find not only PC Principal, but also Mr. Mackey, the three girls who were attacked, Wendy, and our teacher from the class we have together. I cautiously enter the room with Jimmy who asks, "what's up?"

"Y/N L/N, nice of you to join us. Have a seat. You may sit too Jimmy, we weren't expecting you." PC Principal motions for me with his hands under his armpits. I always thought he looked pretty cool, but right now the atmosphere feels too strange for me to sit there, admiring him.

The girls eyes follow me as we take a seat. The female student who kicked me is wearing a leg cast, the one who shoved me has her wrists wrapped in thick bandages, and for some reason, the girl whose phone got destroyed looks the most upset. Wendy stands there with an unreadable expression.

PC Principal opens his mouth to speak. "Now Y/N. These poor girls have informed me that you have been bullying them-“

"W-w-w-what?" Jimmy interrupts, standing from his seat.

"Jimmy, if you don't keep quiet, we are going to have to ask you to step outside. Do you need to leave?" He asks a grumbling Jimmy who sits back down. "These girls confessed to being victims to your ongoing physical harassments and verbal abuses, since the day you have transferred to our school.”

"Excuse me?" My hands tremble, and Jimmy and I share glances of disbelief. I gawk at the girls who pull a tearful act when the adults glance at them, only for them to smile cruelly at me when they turn away.

“Your bad behavior has hurt these students emotionally, mentally, and physically. Is that correct?" He interrogates me with a hardened gaze, unlike the tender sympathetic one, the adults showered the other girls.

"Bullying is wrong. M'kay. We don't know how they used to do it in your old school, but in South Park High, we don't tolerate any form of bullying. M'kay." Mr. Mackey lectures me. "These poor girls have the courage to finally stand up to you. We are very disappointed in you Y/N. M’kay.” The girls nod and I could have sworn I see Wendy fight an emerging smile.

"O-o-ob-objection! These aren't facts!" Jimmy shouts, earning a frown from PC Principal. "Haven't you heard of i-i-i-in-innocent until proven g-guilty? These false accusations are nothing but sl-slander!”

"Jimmy, this will be your last warning. Keep silent." PC Principal warns him. "Can you deny whether these girls statements are true or not, Y/N?"

"Yes, it's n-not t-true." I stutter from the pressure. “I never did those things. Someone else did it." The heavy atmosphere is merciless and overwhelming. I feel like a caged animal on trial.

"Miss Wendy is my best student,” our teacher begins, "she walked into my class this morning and broke down in tears. She told me she has been working nonstop on their project, that was assigned to both, her and Y/N, all by herself. Apparently," she turns her nose upward to peer down at me with disdain, "Miss Y/N threatened to ruin both of their grades, if Wendy didn't agree to do both portions of their work. Our school's pride and joy, was being taken advantage of for her sweet hard working nature." She blows into a tissue.

"I didn't want her to effect my grade by failing us both.“ Wendy dabs her eyes, “I was willing to do all of it, even though I had to sacrifice meals and sleepless nights. I couldn't let my grade and our teacher down." I'm too stunned to speak, by the sudden betrayal, unveiling before me.

"Not only have you taken advantage of your fellow classmate," PC Principal declares, "you destroyed the property of another, and have violently assaulted two defenseless students."

"My phone was my life," the victim sobs into her sleeve with her mascara running. Mr. Mackey hands her a tissue.

"I'm not involved with those three girls, I don't even know them or their names." I speak, looking at the floor. "Wendy...I did my share of our work. We did all our work here at school at the computer lab, every time we had class together, and we even worked through lunch, all week.” I strain my voice to try and keep it from cracking. For the past week, we worked hard on our project, and I even went hungry to make sure it came out well.

"You don't have to lie," Wendy tells me in a sickeningly sweet voice, “they just want to know the truth. I wanted to help you since you're new. I thought you would be happy working with me, since I have good grades, but I was wrong. I didn't think you would leech of me, while I worked myself sick, doing a two person project," she fakes a light sob.

"O-okay that's bullshit, you w-w-would have said something, W-Wendy. You're not w-w-weak." Jimmy speaks up, which makes PC Principal signal Mr. Mackey to escort him out. Jimmy looks at them, full of anger, before bursting out of the room. He catches my eyes that watch as my only support is forced away. 

"I didn't do any of that! You have to believe me!" I defend myself, using the confidence I gain from Jimmy's lead. "I did all of my work with her and I never approached those girls." I shake my head, hoping they would hear me out.

"Are you insinuating these girls made everything up, and that Wendy Testaburger, the Volleyball captain, student council President, head of the Cheerleaders, and a top student...would lie?" The teacher sharply raises her voice.

"I'm innocent." I sincerely tell them. “Please, believe me.”

"We can't prove you didn't do it, but we can prove you did." PC Principal maintains. "Wendy has friends, who claim to have seen you forcing Wendy to do your work, during lunchtime. These three helpless students over here, say they saw you attacking them, as clear as day. It's four against one, Y/N. Who do you expect us to trust? The new transfer or Wendy Testaburger?" He crosses his arms, leaning back in his seat. I’m left speechless, not knowing how to tell them otherwise.

"Y/N, if you admit to everything, we won't suspend you or give you a failing grade on the project for your class. We will let you make up the project on your own time and only give you detention for a month. If you don’t and refuse apologize to these ladies, then we might have to consider more than just suspension. Expulsion is being considered." PC Principal threatens me. "We don't want these girls and other students to feel unsafe in a learning environment. Not in our PC school. We are better than that and you need to learn to confess the truth. Your bad actions has consequences. We are going to notify your parents soon.”

I could almost hear the sound of my heart breaking. I don't want my parents to find out.

_'I'm sure they would believe me but what if they choose the worst case scenario and decide to move again?'_

I don't want to be without my friends.

_'My friends... I wish they were here.'_

My eyes start to water. "I-I didn't do it!" I stand up, staring angrily at the girls through my watery vision. I run out the office. I’m running away _again_. I don’t know what to do, so I’m running.

" **Y/N**!"

I hear the adults shout after me, but I don't look back. I run, not knowing where I'm heading, I just want to get out of here. I knock into someone, making us both fall to the ground.

"Ugh!" A male voice groans. "Watch where you're goin- Oh...it's the conformist.” I push myself off the ground without looking at him. I turn and face Pete who widens his eyes in surprise. “Are you oka-"

I don’t stop to listen as I stand up, dashing as quickly as I could. My tears are falling down my face, dripping off my chin, and onto the smooth floor. My feet takes me to a place I haven’t considered before, the rooftop of the school. Luckily, the door is unlocked and I drop myself outside against the wall. The icy air makes my hot tears burn my cold cheeks. My silent cries are drowned by the the wind. I have no proof. Wendy has our project and probably memorized everything to act like she did it solo. She even has supposed eye witnesses. I look like I’m in the wrong, every way they look at it. 

_'Why would those girls lie?'_

My friends said there were no known suspects for the attack. 

_'Why are they saying I did it? Wendy didn't want to get her hands dirty so she played the victim_?'

I knew Wendy is scary, but I finally understand how fearful she really is. Teachers and students against me isn't anything new, but it still hurts. Instead of a fresh wound, they tore open an old one. The sound of footsteps startles me and my eyes make contact with a pair of sympathetic hazel eyes gently falling on me.

”I found you.” The brown hair teen drawls in his accent more noticeably.

”C-Clydey,” I hiccup. He walks up to me, crouching down to bring his hand to touch my tear stained cheek.

”Sorry, we were late. Jimmy told us what happened in text. We ran out of class to the office, but when we got there, you were already gone.” He wipes my fresh tears rolling down my cheeks with his thumb. I don’t even try to speak, only sobbing towards the ground. I only look up when I hear a small sniffle coming from Clyde. His eyes are watery and his cheeks are a bit red.

”W-why are you crying?” I choke out.

”Seeing you cry, makes me want to cry too.” He cracks a tearful smile. “Ever since that night you cried after we saved you, I thought to myself that I never want to see you cry again. I know everyone makes fun of me for being a crybaby, but when I see you like this, it makes me feel like I want to cry with you.” He wipes his tears with his arm.

”You-you’re not a crybaby,” I babble. “You’re just honest. The cu-cutest puppy. So what, if you cry? It’s okay to be sensitive.”

Clyde leans against the wall beside me, pulling my head to lay on his shoulder. “Why are you comforting me when you’re the sad one?” He chuckles. stroking my hair as I cry onto his jacket. “You don’t have to act strong all the time, you have us.” I don’t remember much else. besides his sniffling as I exhaust all energy. weeping myself to sleep.

The sound of several voices speaking wakes me up, but I choose to remain still. I recognize the voices belonging to my friends.

“Geh! Is-is she asleep?” Tweek asks, trying to keep himself quiet. I can feel Clyde nod in response.

“She looks awful.” Cartman points out. 

_‘Thanks Eric.’_

_”_ Ack _,_ p-poor Y/N,” Tweek anxiously whispers.

“S-S-Stan is fre-freaking out. He wants me to cha-change to Fast Pa-Pa-Pass and bring him to Y/N.” Jimmy informs them.

Token lets out an exasperated sigh, “Nichole says she had no idea Wendy would pull this stunt, and neither did Heidi and Red. Apparently. only the other cheerleaders and Bebe knew about her plan.”

“Dammit, we were one step behind again,” Craig growls. 

“She was so happy this morning,” Kenny clearly speaks so his hoodie must be down.

“Those liars...” Butters whimpers, “this wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“What did I say? Girls are nothing but trouble.” Cartman spills.

“We need to focus and think of a plan,” Kyle loudly whispers and hushes them. The silence tells me that they are brainstorming. I feel too self conscious to open my eyes. “We need them to admit they’re lying, but how?”

”What if we catch the one who really attacked those girls?” Kenny tells them. The others hum in agreement.

”We need the cheerleaders, who collaborated with Wendy’s story, to confess too.” Craig calculates.

”Can I torture them into confessing?” Cartman asks. “I have some new toys I need to try out.”

”No.” Kyle sighs.

“We need to u-un-uncover the truth.” Jimmy fires up.

“Y/N...you awake?” Clyde breathes and I can hear the others stop moving. I stiffen, hoping he didn’t notice, but I fail to control my uneven breathes. I pull away from his shoulder, covering my face with my arms.

“Y/N...” Butters bends down next to me.

”This kind of thing seems to happen to me a lot, huh Bun?” I chuckle, hiding my face. “Eric is right. I’m nothing, but trouble.”

”That’s not what I meant.” Cartman mutters.

“I don’t know what to do. I can’t seem to do anything right. I’m just making you guys suffer because of me.” I laugh dryly.

“That’s not true.” Craig counters.

”You tried to find those girls because of me, and then I got myself caught up in their trap. I’m terrible at fighting for myself, how would I be able to fight for you guys?”

”You don’t have to fight.” Kenny says, and I interrupt him with a laugh.

“We don’t expect you to,” Kyle speaks up.

Butter pries my arms away from my face.

“Because you can’t expect anything good from me?”

He manages to get me to stop covering my face.

My tears stream down as I force myself to smile. “I bet you all don’t want to be my friend anymore, huh?” A sob escapes my throat. Clyde looks at me with glistening hazel eyes again. “I even made you cry. I suck. I really suck.”

“You don’t suck.” Clyde shakes his head.

“Geez Y/N. Why do you keep talking badly about yourself?” Tweek walks up to me. “You’re our friend, of course, we would fight for you!” His emerald eyes are illuminating.

_’He’s not twitching?’_

_”_ We don’t expect anything from you, because you exceed our expectations, anyways.” Kyle doesn’t break eye contact with me. ”You’re our friend, so why wouldn’t we fight for you?” 

“You don’t have to fight alone. We’re not letting you do this by yourself. We’re fighting together, aren’t we?” Kenny’s explains with his blue eyes flashing with determination. “You would do the same for us, we know that.”

“I knew you were slow, but not _this_ slow.” Craig frowns at me with darkened blue eyes.

“You’re mad.” I sniffle with bitter validation.

”I’m only mad because you keep saying shitty things about my friend.” His eyes brightening. “I’m talking about you.” I furrow my eyebrows at them. Butters, Clyde, Craig, Kyle, Token, Jimmy, Kyle, Tweek, Kenny, and even Eric have their lips turned upwards in a light smile.

“We’ll g-g-get through this with you.” Jimmy grins widely.

“You’re not alone. You have us, even Stan.” Kyle’s green eyes shimmers.

”Something like this wouldn’t stop us from being your friend.” Token says with a bright smile. “Or we would have stopped being friends with Fatass a long time ago.”

“Yeah, what they said.” Eric proudly adds, making me laugh. My laugh is real this time.


	27. New Force

I wipe my tears with the back of my hands, hiccuping from the overwhelming emotions stirring inside me. Before anyone can react, Kenny runs up to me, scooping me off the ground.

"Wha!" I yelp.

"I can't help it,” he gives me a cheeky grin, as I wrap my arms around his neck to steady myself. “Seeing my princess cry makes me want to take her away.”

"Hey! I want to hold her!" Clyde jumps up with his arms outstretched as Kenny skips away from him.

"K-Ken, Ken!" I blush from his playful attitude.

He gives a mischievous smile to the gang. "Don't look at me like that. It's not my fault, you're too slow." He taunts with a teasing voice, as Clyde continues to chase us around the roof. They look annoyed, but once I start laughing, their moods seem to lighten up. I dry my wet cheeks as Tweek follows us as well.

“D-don’t drop her, GAH!” Tweek carefully hovering after us while laughing.

“Throw her to me,” Craig motions to Kenny with his palms.

”She’s not a ball!” Kyle shouts, laughing.

“I don’t even with you, guys, sometimes.” Token shakes his head with a smile.

“Is this kick the baby, Y/N version?” Cartman jokes.

Jimmy reacts quickly, “to-to-too soon dude.” I snort in Kenny’s arm from the stupid references.

“You’re all dumbasses,” I laugh in Kenny’s arms. They really know how to cheer me up. “Can Stan hurry home and save me from all of you?”

“That jock? He’ll line up to kick you first!” Cartman snickers.

“Yes, step on be Stanny.” I giggle, glad he’s not here to witness me being a dumbass too. Kenny evades Butters as he makes an attempt to save me.

“Oh hamburgers.”

“Let’s go.” Kenny spins around to the direction of the door.

”W-where?” A jolt of fear goes up my spine. I'm not ready to face my problems just yet. "W-wait, I'm not ready to go back!"

"No, not there," Kenny whistles. "Out of here.”

Cartman catches on quickly, “anywhere, but school!”

”We’re ditching school again? AUGH!” Tweek twitches from anxiousness.

My confusion disappears as my eyes widen. “Wait! You guys can’t skip school because of me! I’m no bad influence!” I kick my legs in the air.

”You still don’t get it? _We’re_ the bad influence,” Craig reveals with a smirk.

“Eh? What about Wendy and the others?” I shout in panic.

Clyde joins in with a cocky grin. “What about them? They’re not going anywhere.”

“We’ll deal with them later.” Kenny presses his cheeks against mines. I almost push myself off of him from embarrassment. Tweek slides his hand between our cheeks, hand chopping us apart.

“Y/N. If you want to run away, we’ll run away with you.” Butters hurries next to us with a cute bunny smile. "We won't force you, if you aren't ready."

"No, she's right. We should take care of this problem right away." Craig frowns, bringing the high back down.

"How can you say no to this face?" Clyde shouts, pointing his hand to my face.

Craig's eyes trail to me with a serious expression. I blink once at him, as he stares back at me without blinking. I blink again, pouting my lips.

"Goddammit." He flips me off and looks away. His cheeks are slightly red.

"No, I agree with Craig." Kyle backs him up. "What if it gets worse?"

"Don't be a debbie downer," Cartman complains. Clyde grabs my cheeks from behind, turning my face directly to Kyle's direction. Kyle stares at me as I blink a few times, and then I pucker my lower lip at him.

"Dammit,” Kyle pulls his hat over his reddening face. “That’s playing dirty.”

"Aren't you tired of holding me?" I face Kenny.

"Nope,” he tries to press his cheeks to me again, and I put my hand in between us, making Tweek smile.

”But w-where are we g-going?” Tweek accepts the idea.

”Where’s the one place you really want to go right now, Y/N?” Token asks. I press my lips, tight in contemplation. 

“I’m not sure...I want to see Stan, I guess.” I confess. "I want to be with all my friends."

”That’s not a p-p-place.” Jimmy points out the obvious, but considers it.

”I-I don’t know...a theme park, maybe?” I tilt my head thoughtfully. "I like amusement parks..." The guys seem to register a place as they murmur among themselves in excitement.

"We know exactly where to go!" Kyle assures me.

"To make u-up for leaving you in the office, I'll fetch Stan as w-w-w-well." Jimmy winks to me, making me gasp. "Special treat!"

"Whoa!" Kenny holds me tighter as I squirm happily.

"How are we getting out of here though?" Token brings up. "I'm the only one with a car, I can't fit all of us." They all stop in their tracks as they think to themselves.

"At a time like this...There is only one person whom we can turn to." Cartman ponders seriously, drawing all of our attention. "Everyone knows him as **the** new kid."

Butters dramatically inhales, "gee, y-you don't mean..."

"That's right. He assisted us in retrieving the Stick of Truth. He aided us during the superhero civil war. He's is also the only guy I can think of that has a car..."

_‘Isn't that the real reason?’_

" **Douchebag**?” Kyle, Tweek, Clyde, and Token shout.

"Douchebag." Cartman squints, rubbing his hands together.

_’They mean Dovahkiin from class?’_

That nickname, if I can even call it that, that they always call him, is a bit insulting. They quickly make their way to rush out of school. The guys cautiously walk with me in the center as if I would get ambushed. The hall monitors tries to approach us, but the guys had a killing aura unfit for teenagers. They turn a blind eye, not ready to fall at the hands of the gang’s unusual murderous intent. I'm stricken with fear at the sound of female students chatting nearby, but Butters pats my back. I desperately want to get away, and not think about any of this right now. 

"How are you going to ask Douchebag?” Kyle asks Cartman.

"I already sent him a text to see if he can drive us to the amusement park and he said..." Cartman looks at his phone, "no."

"What the fuck, how are we getting out of school?"

"Okay, he's meeting us in the parking lot." Cartman casually tells us while looking at his phone again.

"Didn't he say no?" Kyle asks.

"I told him it's for the greater good...a Damsel in distress needs him. I can’t believe that worked, man what a Douche."

"Hey, don't talk about him like that. He's helping us." I frown at him. We reach the parking lot where Dovahkiin is waiting, against a car, on his phone. He looks up when he hears us and notices me. I give him a shy smile. 

_‘This is because stupid Eric called me a Damsel in distress.’_

He watches me but doesn't say anything.

_’Right now, should be our class together, but here we are...in the parking lot...about to ditch.’_

"Thanks for coming, Douchebag." Cartman grins at him. The others thank him as well.

"Why do you guys always call him that? He has a name, a cool one. Thanks Dovahkiin." I smile towards him, and he gives me a nod with a slight smile.

”At this point, it’s kind of like a term of endearment.” Kyle tells me and Dovahkiin shrugs,not caring.

“Okay, let’s split up,” Kyle announces.

"I call shotgun! I need the leg room.” Cartman declares, “Y/N will be in Douche's car with me, Kinny, Butters, and the Jew. Team Craig will go with Token, obviously."

"Huh? Y/N should go in our car!" Clyde frowns.

"Wait, how many people can you fit in your car Douchebag?" Kyle asks him. He puts up four fingers. "That's too many people then Fatass."

”Eh? Why do you own such a small car? Weak!” Cartman complains. Dovahkiin leans on his car, crossing his arms with a raised eyebrow.

“Don’t be like that. Dovahkiin is helping us, we should be grateful.” I defend him. “His car is cute.” He gives a smug smirk towards Cartman.

"Hold up,” Token thinks, "we're only dropping off Jimmy at his house, so he can grab his costume to pick up Stan."

‘ _I guess they mean as Fast Pass, he can run to Stan quickly.’_

"Then he'll meet us at the amusement park. My car can hold six people so Y/N should come with us."

Clyde cheers and high fives Tweek and Craig. Kyle, Kenny, and Butters turn disappointed. Even Dohvakiin looks disappointed, but it might have been my imagination.

"No fair!" Cartman grumbles. "I'm switching to Token's car then."

" **No**.” Team Craig says as one.

"There's room for six people, not s-s-s-s-seven." Jimmy smirks.

"I'm not fat, I'm big boned! Fine, bye Jew, you're going with Token. Y/N will be in our car." Cartman recalculates.

”That’s still one too many people, someone’s going to have to squeeze into Token’s car, until Jimmy is dropped off.” Kyle says. “I call dibs-“

"F-fellas...Kenny is already in Token's car." Butters motions to the car and we see Kenny, already with his seat belt on and his hoodie on too. He gives us light wave.

"I'll ride with you guys on the way back!" I wave to them. "Let's get it, let's go!" I rush everyone to their cars. They just look at each other and split into the cars. Butters, Kyle, Cartman, and Dovahkiin are in his car. Token and Clyde is in the front seat, with Jimmy, Craig, Kenny, and Tweek in the back, in that order.

Token stops me to tell me not to worry about my backpack or anything. Apparently, Nichole went to fetch my bag for safe keeping. 

_‘My Queen.’_

Scott is taking care of their stuff. I almost forgot about my stuff.

He sends another text to Nichole. “By the way, you’re going to have to sit on someone's’ lap.” He says to me as he types. I look to the guys who overhears him, situating themselves with excitement. Kenny and Clyde pat their thighs, expectantly.

”Can I just walk?” I turn back to Token who chuckles in response. I walk over to the door of my favorite barista who starts fidgeting as I approach him. “E-excuse me.” I enter the car and he stiffens when I place my hand on his thigh. I pull myself up and place myself on his lap, gently testing my weight on him.

”Oh Jesus!” He shouts.

“A-am I too heavy?” I panic, twisting back to a red faced Barista.

”N-no, you’re not...” I shift slightly to make myself comfortable. He continues to awkwardly fidget, before holding my waist, to properly settle me in.

”A-ack! Y/N, I don’t think you’ll be comfortable on me!” He half shouts. “Gah!”

”No...I’m comfy.” I sit still. “Are you?” I shyly glance back to him.

“Geh...y-yeah.” He drops his arms to his sides.

”Lucky ba-ba-ba-bastard.” Jimmy says, and Clyde, Craig, and Kenny nod in agreement.

"MMmmmph mmp." (Don't get too excited) He warns Tweek who gulps. I stare off into space, wondering what I should do about everything. I’m overwhelmed. My parents think I’m at school today and they’re home tonight. I don’t want PC Principal to reach them. My cell phone in my front pocket vibrates and startles Tweek. 

_‘What impeccable timing, it's my dad.’_

”H-hi Dad.” I say nervously.

” _Y/N, your school just called.”_

”Oh yeah?”

” _Do you want to talk about it right now?”_

”No. Not right now.”

_“Your mother and I trust you.”_

“I know.”

” _All right.”_

”I don’t know what time I will be home today, but I’m with my friends.”

” _Your friends are with you?”_

”Yep, even Kyle.”

After we say good bye, I heave a long sigh.

“Ack! Wha-what did your parents say?” Tweek asks.

“They just told me to take care of myself and we can talk tomorrow.”

“They aren’t freaking out? Are they always like that?” Clyde pipes up. “Man, my dad would so mad, screaming and yelling. Yours are awesome.”

”If my parents were like that I would be soo happy.” Craig says.

”No...it’s a long story. They feel guilty about some stuff, so they kind of let me do my own thing. I’m sure they’re upset, but they won’t punish me. They trust me.”

”Guilty about what?” Craig questions.

“This and that.“ I mumble. “I’m happy he called me and that he’s chill about it. I was scared they would panic and try to move us out of South Park.” I nervously laugh. The fear I had earlier, creeps up on me, making me shudder. The thought of leaving my friends scares me more than anything.

“N-no! That would be terrible if you moved! Ah!” Tweek squirms a bit from underneath me.

”It’s all good! I was just worried they might consider it.”

Craig gives a relieved sigh, almost like he was holding his breathe, for a moment. 

“I’m glad he called, that’s a weight off my shoulders.” I say, full of gratitude. My anxiety still doesn't go away though.

“Mmmph mmm mmph.” (We would have stopped them) Kenny muffles.

”I would go on a hunger strike if you had to move,” Clyde says, “no more Taco Bell.” He chants.

”That’s a little extreme,” I pout.

”T-t-taco bout it.” Jimmy mumbles, making me snort.

"Aren't your parents going to get mad at you for ditching?"

"What they don't know, won't hurt them." Craig responds.

"Even if they do know, they would be disappointed but not surprised." Token laughs. How do they keep their grades up, I do not know. I feel relieved until I remember my blond bestie. I immediately ring him up.

"Bu-Bunbun..." I say in a worried tone. I guess he could sense my feelings because he tells me to relax.

"You're worth getting grounded for. " He says coolly.

"BunBun..." I tear up, still emotional from everything. "Thank you..." I can hear Cartman being annoying to Kyle about what music to play. I tell Butters to tell him to stop being an ass, which Butters is more than happy to deliver.

The guys keep me entertained, by playing loud music, and constantly telling me funny stories and jokes. I guess they’re worried I’ll get upset again if I'm not distracted. They aren't wrong though. Token drops Jimmy off at his house and I shout a thank you. Dovahkiin is going to arrive at the theme park before us, since we had to make the detour. I wonder how fast Jimmy will get there. Craig slides down to Jimmy’s seat and Kenny moves so that I can sit in between him and Tweek.

“Thanks Tweeki-khins,” I say, finally getting off his poor lap.

”You’re welcome.” He gives me a shy smile, slightly shaking from possibly caffeine. “If you w-want, you can keep sitting on me. GAH!” I blush from his invitation. Clyde gasps and Token swerves a bit from being taken off guard.

”Mmmm mmmph!” (Holy shit dude) Kenny sounds impressed while Craig just laughs behind his knuckles.

”I didn’t know you’re so smooth,” I laugh. Tweek smiles and stops shaking. The ride to the amusement park turns out pleasant. They told me it used to be owned by Cartman and he named it CartmanLand. Apparently, he’s still kind of bitter about it, so I shouldn’t mention it in front of him. I need to know everything about it now that I heard about it, so I decide to ask Kyle to spill all the tea later. I can feel myself getting restless every time my thoughts start to wander, but Tweek notices and snaps me out of the thoughts.

“I’m an an-anxiety veteran. I know how it is.” He tells me as I fix his shirt. 

“Teach me your ways.” I say, feeling proud of my nibble fingers. “Besides coffee and caffeine.”

”Besides that...my coping mechanisms have been a lo-lot healthier. I have support too. Sometimes, the dudes, especially Craig, helps me calm d-down and lately you do too.” He smiles and makes me happy.

”Craigy,” I turn to him. “Make me feel better.” I childishly demand.

”Mmmph mmm” (I know some ways) p

Craig gives Kenny a light punch.

“How do you feel right now?” Craig asks me with a blank face.

“I feel like, if I stop even for a moment, I might cry.” I answer truthfully. The guys frown at my confession.

”That's awful, but a natural way to feel after everything you went through. It's okay to be sad.” He sincerely tells me.

"I am sad...I'm just happy you're all with me right now..."

“We're hear to listen, if you want to talk about it.” Craig reassures me.

”No...not now...”

”That’s all right. Take your time. You don't have to force yourself to do anything, you deserve that much. You’re self care is important.”

I nod while feeling a wave of validation. “Wow, you’re good.” I tell him, “thank you.” He breaks out into a warm smile.

“We here!” Clyde points out the window and we can see a grand theme park with many rides. There’s not as many people thanks to it being a weekday. We can see Dovahkiin’s car already parked. They’re waiting outside, including a casually dressed Jimmy, and Stan. I guess Jimmy changed outside his costume after arriving. 

_‘How fast is he?’_

Tweek quickly rolls down the window for me.

“Staaan!” I shout, waving over Tweek, and Stan looks around for me. When he spots me from the window, he gives me his cute familiar smile. Token parks nearby and I scramble out of the car to rush to Stan. ”Stan!” I run towards him. He walks up, waiting for me with his hands in his pockets. I slow down playfully. ”Staaaaan,“ I run in slow motion. He pulls out his hands,and motions for me to hurry, with both of them. ”Stanny!” I sprint, jumping into his open arms in a warm embrace. “I missed you! So, so, so much! I’m happy you’re here!” I rub my face into his jacket, making him chuckle.

“I missed you too.” When we pull apart, he checks my face closely by bending to my height. “Are you okay?” He gently asks. “I can’t believe Wendy did that to you. Jimmy and Kyle let me know everything.” His face contorts into anger when he utters her name.

“Yeah... I’m okay." I shake my head, not wanting to talk about it, and he understands right away. "Are you okay?” 

“Now I am.” He smirks, pulling me in for another hug. “You have no idea how badly I was suffering from Y/N withdrawals.”

”Let’s get moving already.“ Cartman rushes us. “I don’t want the lines to the rides get longer,while you two are having a mushy reunion, bleh.” The guys cheer in excitement at the fun playground before us. I get giddy too and pull Stan with me. They pay for their tickets. Before I can pay for mines, Token slams some money on the counter to pay for both of our tickets. 

_‘I knew he’s a sugar daddy-‘_

I thank him a bunch, as he hands me my ticket with a friendly smile.

“They’re still doing well after I left...” Cartman grumbles, looking around the crowds.

”I can't believe you're here. I'm so happy! How did you sneak out?” I ask Stan.

”I set up a dummy, taking a nap for me.” He laughs. “I had to come no matter what. They don’t want us to leave since they’ll think we'll relapse, but I wanted to be here with you no matter what.” I feel a light blush. “I have to go back in a few hours, but I’ll be back at night when they think I’m asleep. Jimmy is going to make a few more trips tonight.”

”Back forth, ba-ba-back forth. The things I do f-f-fo-for friends.” Jimmy shakes his head. He smiles when I hug him.

”Thanks Jimmy! You have no idea how much it means to me to be with everyone! Is your costume in your backpack?” I look behind him and he nods.

“Who arrived first, you or Dovahkiin?” 

“Me o-o-of course!” He proudly smiles as I stare at him in awe.

"Dovahkiin...thanks for coming. The guys wanted to cheer me up."

He nods at my explanation. He types a message on his phone that reads, 'you looked like you were crying. Are you okay?' I touch my cheek in embarrassment.

"I must look terrible. I should check myself in the mirror."

He types another message and shows me his phone. ‘No, you always look good. Don't worry.’ I blush from the unexpected compliment.

"Oh, thanks...yeah, I'm okay. We couldn't have made it here without you. Thank you."

He types another message, " :D ", and I laugh, since he's smiling in person too. He has a unique presence, making me want to confide to him about everything. He's surprisingly easy going, despite being so mysterious.

"What should we do first?" Clyde paces about, excitedly. "What do you want to do?" He asks me and everyone turns to look at me.

"Everything!" I shout, running in a random direction, knowing they will chase me.


	28. New Rides

I run until someone catches up to me pretty fast. They grab my hand, making me pause mid step. To my surprise, it's the one and only puppy Clyde.

"I gotcha! I want to spend time with you first!" He grins, checking around quickly, as he drags me away through the crowds.

"Where are we going?" I laugh, "what about the others?" I glance behind us and they are having trouble catching up through the maze of people. Clyde finds a random line and stays on it. A large family joins behind us, making it so that the gang can't catch up to us in line. It looks like our friends decide the line isn't worth it, because they don't bother to line up.

"I wonder what this line is for? Oh, well. Anything will be fun with you," he's says, grinning from ear to ear. 

_'Puppy.'_

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's super fun!" I hop a little from excitement. The line goes pretty fast, it looks like you can go in with as many people as you want, but since it's just Clyde and I, it will only be the two of us. The closer we get to the front of the line, the more our smiles slowly begin to drop. It's a huge building with intricately decorated designs. We glance at each other, as we look back to the amazing attraction before us. It is obviously their year long horror attraction.

Clyde clears his throat with a cough. "It's a haunted house, heh."

"Yeah...it looks like they put a lot of money into it," I say scratching my arm, trying to ignore the random screams leaking from the building,

"It looks like it might take a while to go through the whole thing..." He says.

"M-maybe. It looks fun..."

"I-it does. Good thing I'm not easily frightened. It’s all fake." He chuckles a little strangely, or not, I could be projecting.

"Me neither. I'm not scared of that stuff. I don’t believe in monsters and ghosts.” I laugh a little higher pitched than usual. I hope he can't tell I'm lying.

"That's great to hear..."

"It might end up being pretty funny," I secretly hope. We jump a little when loud screams echo from within the house. We see people entering, but not leaving. I guess the entrance is on another side _o_ r at least I hope it is.

"Yeeep..." He says.

"Mhmm...." I respond as another burst of screams make us smile at each other.

"If you get scared, feel free to stick close to me... you can even hold my hand or my arm, if you want." He smiles at me and I feel myself relax a bit. I make an exaggerated act of pressing my side against, him making him grin again like before we saw the house.

"Thanks Clyde. You don't have to worry about me. Let's enjoy the the house and get back to the others," I smile to him. He gives me a nod, feeling the same bubbling excitement as me. The group in front of us enters the house, and after a few minutes, the employee lets the both of us walk in through. I can feel myself get nervous, but I don't want Clyde to think I'm a scaredy cat. That would be embarrassing.

We cautiously stumble into a dark hallway, lit only by eerie lighting from stage props and different colored back lights. There is spooky sound effects playing but no music, only atmospheric noises like the stormy wind and howling. A giggle from a little girl over the speakers makes us jump from more _excitement_. We follow, side by side, glancing around. We laugh, pointing out the exaggerated decor, like the bloody handprints and footprints on the ground.

The first room looks like an abandoned antique shop, full of creepy knick knacks. We spot a statue and hesitantly walk around him. Despite being wary of it in defensive stances, it still manages to make us jump, as it lunges forward, making us bolt out the room, hand in hand. The next room isn't any better, there's a mummified man chained to a bed, growling at us. He leaps off the bed, rushing towards us and we freeze, yelling as we throw ourselves at each other into an embrace. His chains stops him from reaching us. We sprint out, only to enter a room full of broken dolls. Quiet sobbing and giggling from the toys creeps us out, as we slowly step against the wall, hoping we don't trigger a jump scare of some sort.

A room of broken mirrors and a woman crying at the corner has us both screaming for mercy, as Clyde pulls me by the hand. We race out the room like our lives are at risk. Room after room, has us shouting and yelling, only making us hug and cling to each other even more. When we make it to a possibly safe hallway, we both stop to catch our breaths, still glued to each other with no sense of shame. Clyde and I both look at one another, in the dark lighting, before bursting out in laughter.

"I thought you said you weren't scared of this kind of stuff." Clyde laughs, holding his stomach.

"Y-you said it first!" I point out while laughing.

"Yeah right, I almost tripped a few times because you kept throwing yourself at me!"

"Well, you have a higher pitched scream than I do!" I imitate him with an exaggerated impression.

"Just admit you're scared!" He pokes me.

"You're the one who is scared, _Mr. I'm not easily frightened,_ " I poke him back. "You almost squeezed me to death."

"That was so you wouldn't get left behind!" He says, holding out his arm for me.

"Oh man, we both yelled like crazy!" I grab his arm tight, continuing our adventure.

"I think we're towards the end."

"THope so!" I exhale.

We power through the last few rooms, with only _a few_ more screams from me, and obscenities from Clyde. We see the exit down the last hallway and get chased one, last time, by a screeching furry creature. Even though, we know it's just actors and actresses in the outfits and stage makeup, it still gets our blood pumping. We rush out, only to stop once we hit the beautiful sunlight, and lean against each others shoulders, laughing and out of breathe.

"My adrenaline is still pumping!" Clyde laughs. "That was fun, since it was with you!"

"It was! I don't think anyone would yell with me as much as you did" I laugh. "Maybe Tweek?"

"What about me?" Tweek voice makes us look at his direction. He's with the rest of the gang, holding onto food and beverages, as they walk towards us.

"Oh my goodness, food!" I shout, racing to them.

"We were thinking you might get scared of the haunted house." Clyde says to Tweek.

"Yeah...I'll pass. How was it?" He asks me.

"You wouldn't believe how much screaming there was," I laugh, "most of it coming from Clydey."

"Hey, it was mostly you!" he laughs.

“Me? You wouldn't let go of my hand every time you started running!"

"Oh, come on! You wouldn't stop holding onto my arm, I thought you were going to rip it off!" He teases me. 

"The two scaredy cats went into the horror house," Craig chuckles, making the others laugh, and us blush.

"It turned out pretty fun...I got to hold Y/N, at least..." Clyde smirks with a blush still on his face, and I use the back of my hand to cool down mines, remembering how many times we touched.

"Hmm..." Cartman eyes us with annoyance. "Well, we got some food, while you two were being pussies." He waves a corn dog at us. The guys hand us our drinks and kabobs. We eat, while walking around, looking at the different souvenir stores.

"Y/N, c'mere." Stan shouts to me from the door. When I’m close enough, he places something I couldn’t see, on top of my head.

"What is it?" I ask, peeking at the store's windows, serving as a mirror. It's a pair of festive cat ears, suitable for the park. "Wow...it's cute...thank you, Stan." I smile, looking up at him.

"I thought it would look cute on you, and I was right." Stan gives me a confident smile, making my cheeks warm up.

"Thanks Stanny," I spin, smiling at my reflection. “I can’t wait until you officially come back.” I turn to him.

"Yep." He puts his hands in his pockets, looking at my headband, and then at me, as he takes in my appearance.

"M-meow," I put up my hands in a cat paw pose. I think I take him off guard, since he steps back, with his cheeks getting a little red.

_'This might be a little fun?'_

I step forward with my fists to my cheeks. "Stan meow?"

"Okay, yeah. Don't do that, it's bad for my heart." He say,s adjusting his pitch lower, since it starts out high.

"Meow?" I tilt my head.

"On second thought, keep going." He backtracks.

"What the fuck, are you two doing?" Craig sends us a judging look, as he walks out the store. Tweek walks out after him, with Butters wearing Bunny ears.

"Oh my gah! Bunbunny so cute!" I rush to pull on his ears.

"You look cute, Y/N!" Butters smiles at me.

"You too! Best Team Bunny!" We share a high five. I sense a presence and notice Dovahkiin behind me.

 _'When did he get there?'_

Kyle, Token, and Jimmy walk out with some goodies, except for Kenny and Cartman. We spot aisles of booths and stalls with games. This amusement park is pretty impressive, it’s like a festival within a maze of entertainment.

”I-i-i-if anyone gets lost, meet up at the ferris wheel.” Jimmy advises.

”Speaking of ferris wheels...do you want to go on it?“ Stan asks me, out of hearing range, from the others.

”Sure! Let’s ask who else wants to ride.”

”No! I mean...I prefer if it was just the two of us.” He tells m, “I have to go back sooner or later, might as well have some alone time with you, before I go back.” I nod at his explanation. “I’ll be back during 'bedtime', a few hours before midnight, at least, so we can watch the fireworks together.”

”Oh! They have fireworks here at midnight, like Disneyland?” I chirp happily.

”Yeah,” he curves his lips into a smile. “I’ll let you know when we should head there.” He points to the large wheel in the sky. The sun shines brilliantly nearby since now it’s afternoon. The guys find different games they like at the stalls, and several prizes catches my eye at different ones, particularly a cute stuffed bear with a little beanie on its head. I spot Kyle, lending some money to Kenny, and I follow them as we browse games.

“Whoa, Ken Ken!” I watch in amazement as he grabs a toy gun, shooting all the balls in one stall. “Go Kenny!”

”Kenny has always been good with his hands, especially when we take him camping. He’s like a natural at hunting, fishing, and stuff.” Kyle informs me, before walking to the next stall. Kenny shoots them all with ease, impressing even the employee. Kenny win,s allowing him to choose one large prize or two small ones. He turns to me, taking off his hoodie.

”Which one do you think Karen would like?” He asks, looking at all the options. I skip next to him in excitement for his win. I point to a crochet bear that I think would look cute in her room. “Hmm, anything else?” He ponders, “what about those?” He points to a pair of gloves.

“Oh, those are so cute! I think they might be a little big for Kare,n but I guess she’ll grow into them, someday.”

“Okay, I’ll take the bear and the gloves.” The employee hands them to him and he hands me the gloves. “These are for you, Princess.”

”Wow! I didn’t expect these.” I smile, admiring the gloves, “thank you!”

”You can wear them on our next date,” he jokes as I playfully slap him with them. We join the others, as Cartman continues playing the same game he’s been stuck at since the beginning. I can tell he is frustrated, due to him rolling up his sleeves, and constantly muttering to himself. Jimmy and Token won some prizes, showing them off to him, only making him more agitated. Dovahkiin surprises us by hitting a 'test your strength' game with a max score rating, making Craig and Stan feel competitive in trying to test their strengths as well. I walk over to Tweek and Butters, who are sitting by a sparkling fountain, admiring the park.

“Ack Y/N! Sit with us! You don’t want to get tired before midnight.” Tweek motions for me to sit between them.

”Okay,” I walk up to them, taking my seat, gracefully.

”Y/N, GEH, not on me!” He laughs.

”Oh my bad, I thought that’s what you meant.” I tease, sitting on the bench with them. Butters tilts his head before registering the reference.

”Bestie, how are you doing?“ Butters keeps his head tilted, looking at my face.

”Better than ever.” I say, feeling my heart squeeze from a flashback from this morning. “I never went to the amusement park with so many friends, it’s fun! I don’t want the day to end.” I close my eyes, leaning against the bench. I put the gift Kenny gave me into my pocket.

”We can always come back again.” Tweek tells me, poking the tip of my cat hairband.

“I would love that.” I smile looking at them. Stan waves at us from afar and I can tell he’s calling me. Jimmy strolls away from us so I assume he’s going to change into his hero outfit for Stan. At least , he won’t stick out much once he’s done, since there’s mascots running around and people dressed in animal ears. I run up to Stan who tells the guys we’re going to ride together before he has to go, so he says his goodbye to them for now. The others go off to line up for the biggest roller coaster as Stan and I stroll to the ferris wheel. I don’t mind heights but this one is amazingly tall. Almost a little too tall for me, but I don’t tell Stan that. Amusement parks are about the thrill, anyways.

“Ladies first,” he holds my hand to step inside our personal capsule. We sit across from one another as the wheel slowly rotates upwards. I watch his peaceful expression as he looks out the the windows, admiring the view.

”I know I shouldn’t bring this up right now but I wanted to tell you as soon as possible.” He says as he turns his head to me. I nod listening intently, only a little distracted by the rising height. “I’m not going to forgive Wendy for what she’s doing to you. If you want me to stay here, instead of go back, I will. I can always finish the rehab later.” 

“Aw...” I feel touched by his proposition, “thank you, but you should it. It’s more important. You’re almost done and all of us are waiting for you.” I say with pride.

He nods at me, “I thought you would say that, but it didn’t hurt to ask. If that’s what you want, I’ll finish it, but if Wendy hurts you again I can’t make any promises that I’ll be able to stay put.”

“Okay,” I smile. He points out familiar places and structures we can see, as we get higher and higher. In fact it’s a little too high, I can feel myself get stiff from the overwhelming perspective.

”Y/N?” Stan must have noticed. “You good?” I respond with a high pitched noise. “Are you scared?” He asks, furrowing his eyebrows with concern.

”A little...sorry, I love ferris wheels but this is higher than I expected.” I chuckle nervously.

”Do you want me to sit next to you?”

I stand up to make my way over to him in the wobbly capsule, without answering.

”W-why are these ferris wheels made to rock back and forth?” I grumble nervously, making him chuckle. Like a buffoon, I trip over my own legs, stumbling towards the ground. Stan throws himself towards me, catching me before I do. We both land to the ground on his bottom. I mutter a thanks, untangling my legs, as he holds me.

”You’re shaking.” He tilts his head at me.

”No, I’m not.” I deny, he laughs in response still not releasing me. “I’m just vibrating from excitement.” My expression betraying me.

”Why didn’t you tell me you’re scared of heights? I wouldn’t have suggested if I knew.”

”I’m not always scared, it’s just a little higher than I thought it would be. I think it’s because it kind of movies based on our weight? Feels unstable...” I justify. “You can let go of me now.” 

“Nah...” He smirks at me. “I don’t want you falling for me again.” I roll my eyes giggling. “I’m glad I’m with my wifey right now. What if she moved on?”

”Too late, didn’t you see Butters in his bunny ears? Stan, who?” I jest.

“I’ll have to steal you back.” He scrunches his nose at me so I do the same. We reach the highest point of the ferris wheel so he attempts to help me up to sit next to him, which I do in stiff robotic movements. “The view looks great.”

”I does...” I say, still gripping his sleeve with one hand.

”When I’m with you, it makes me think how much time I wasted spending it with the wrong people.” Stan says, looking at the gorgeous scenery. I can’t look anymore so I clench my eyes, patiently waiting, until we’re not so high up. Stan likes the ride so I’m enjoying it too, even though I’m tense as a rock.

“That’s why you can make new memories with the ones that matter. All the unpleasant ones make the good ones even better.” I tell him and he doesn’t respond. For some reason, I feel like his eyes are on me. I slowly open my eyes to confirm, only to see Stan quickly looking away. His cheeks are red.

“Did you know I was addicted to _pay to play_ games? I spent thousands of my dad’s money when I was a kid.” He chuckles, changing the subject. I laugh in disbelief. He tells me how lame the game was, but was made specifically to target susceptible youths. His friends went to Canada to help him. Our friends do some really crazy things to each other, but they make up for it by doing equally crazier things, and nothing defines South Park to me better than that. “I feel like it was crazier when I was younger.”

”It really sounds like it was.”

”At least, it was crazy enough to distracted you from the fear. We’re at the end of the ride.” He hums as I finally notice the low elevation.

“Wow, you got me.” I smile, appreciatively. When we step off, we see Jimmy waiting at the exit with an energetic smile. Apparently, he zoomed through some lines and caught two roller coasters, while waiting for us. His power is seriously handy. I say goodbye and head to the rollercoaster I saw our friends took to reunite with them.

“What is ze pretty little lady doing alone in a place like this?”

I turn to see a handsome brown hair teen with a cigarette in his mouth, looking like he’s straight out of action movie, specifically an apocalypse one. I do a double take, to make sure the world isn’t ending, while I wasn’t paying attention.

“The beautiful miss is free to go wherever she wants. I’m sure she’s a strong independent woman.” A handsome blond teen flashes his pearly whites at me. That comment was cheesy, but he stands confident by his words. The two friends have differing fashion senses, but they appear to be compatible buddies. “The name is Gregory.” He offers his hand and I take it into a friendly handshake.

”My name is Y/N, I moved to South Park recently. Do you two go to my school?”

”We may or we may not. I am known as Christophe but people call me ze Mole. If our paths cross once again in this hellhole, I will offer my aid if ze lady ever requests of it.” He says, and I realize his cigarette isn’t actually a cigarette, but a lollipop.

_'That’s cute, he’s pretty cool.'_

I mutter a thanks and they spot someone beside me. I turn to see Dovahkiin, I guess he went to fetch me. He’s almost like a silent assassin. The two teens seem to know him as they give each other silent nods. I say goodbye to my new acquaintances, telling them my friends must be waiting for me. I’m sure I will meet them again, someday. South Park is big, but not that big.

Dovahkiin shows me his phone 'Don’t talk to strangers :P'.

”Is that your life motto for everything?” I tease.

He types, 'too many ppl aren’t worth the effort.'

”I feel special, since you communicate to me at least,” I gush at the dude.

He smiles at me, showing me his phone. 'If this makes you that happy, you’re weird.'

”Says the guy ,who expends more movements, using his phone.”

'I used to play a game called phone destroyer with our friends.' He types in a second. 'I kind of got used to just listening to everyone talking nonstop, without having to open my mouth.'

”You’re a man of little words.” I tell him, “I’m a person of many words, but not much to say, besides fangirling about cute things and cute people.”

'It’s not boring to listen to people talk about their passions.' He types.

”You’re right.” I brighten up. “Why are you so cool?”

'Just am.' He shows me his message with a smile.


	29. New Rush

"Hey Dovahkiin? Can I ask you a question?"

He turns his head downward towards me and gives me a light nod.

"How come you choose not to talk? I remember you introduced yourself when I first met you in class, but I can't remember ever hearing you talk after. In fact..." I edge closer to him, "I don't even remember the sound of your voice." He takes in what I said, and after thinking about it for a moment, he only shrugs in response. "Oh, okay. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I just remember it was pleasant." I smile to him. He tilts his head a bit, not expecting my reaction. "I'm the opposite, I have trouble shutting my mouth, sometimes, especially when I'm fangirling, it just comes out." I laugh. "You can tell me if I talk to much, I don't want to chat your ear off."

He shows me his phone 'You're good. I like hearing you talk.'

”Okay! But you better not regret those words.”

’If you say it like that, I change my mind,’ he types on his phone.

”Too late!” I stick out my tongue.

"Y/N!" Kyle calls out to me from the exit of one of the rides. He jogs up to me. "How was the Ferris wheel with Stan?"

"It was better than I thought it would be" I tell him. He opens his mouth, but closes it, eyeing Dovahkiin. "Is there something you wanted to say?" He glances at Dovahkiin, and I put two and two, that he wants to talk to me privately. I grab his arm, dragging him away. "Let's chat over there." He follows me without a word. "Now spill!" I ask him, with my hands at my waist.

He looks away, scratching his head "Um...I was wondering if you wanted to ride one of the rides with me? Just you and me..." He mumbles the last bit.

"Is that all?" I giggle, "sure, Ky!"

"Great!" He smiles at the ground, before smiling up at me. “Let’s go there now,” he pulls me away by the hand.

”Shouldn’t we tell the others?” I look back to Dovahkiin, who seems to have caught up with the rest of the gang. He’s kind of hard to read sometimes, almost like Craig, except he doesn’t have a temper and is more likely to go with the flow.

“No need,” he laughs, making me smile. I like seeing Kyle smile, he’s usually is low key mad because of Cartman’s hijinks. “Cartman was being a royal pain in the ass. He kept cutting us, to get in in the front of the line, even though we’re all riding the same roller coaster!” He fknits his eyebrows, recalling it. “Then, he kept complaining nonstop about lines, and how he hates lines, and lines are the worst, blah blah blah, lines are the worst, and so are all the people in them.” I could see he was getting worked up.

”Ky.....” I tippy toe to reach his face. I press the middle of his eyebrows with my fingers, smoothing down the muscles. “There, that’s better.” I laugh, bringing my hand away from his reddening face.

”What was that about?” He touches his face.

”You’re going to get wrinkles, thinking about Cartboy, you look better smiling.” I tell him, causing him to let out a flustered chuckle.

“Geez Y/N.” He races away as if in a hurry.

”Wait for me!”

Kyle leads us to a ride called The Tunnel of Love.

“You want to ride this?” I point to it with wide eyes.

”Yep. I heard it’s cute, and you said you love cute things.” He explains, not looking at me.

”That’s true...thanks Ky!”

”No prob.” He smiles at me.

”There sure are a lot of couples in line...” I glance around.

”Really? I didn’t notice.” He looks away from me once more.

“Hmm....”

”What is it?” He turns back to me.

”Do you think we look like a couple?” I almost whisper to him.

”Uh...” he visibly stiffens, "m-maybe..."

”I mean, it’s probably a ride for couples, look at all the people.” I whisper, feeling a little self conscious. "Well, obviously it's for pairs, and it's in the name."

“Don’t overthink it,” he tells me.

”If you say so, they should have named it 'the tunnel of friendship',” I laugh, “since we would never date.” Kyle's face hardens at my words and he looks away from my eyes. For a second, I almost make out a flash of hurt in his eyes.

”The line is moving.” He says curtly, moving ahead of me. It almost seems like he's a upset. I ignore it, because I could be overthinking it, like he told me earlier. I might be too sensitive, because of everything and misreading the shift in mood. The employee moves people in, two at a time, and we only need to wait a bit, before we are taken to our ride.

“I never rode one if these,” I smile to Kyle who responds a little late. We sit ,side by side, in a cliche swan boat, surrounded by water and amorous decor. The man-made river lights up in shades of pink, purple, and red within a cave structure. There are yellow orbs lights decorating the ceiling and light music playing a romantic song, with only instruments and no vocals. “Wow...” I stare in awe from the new experience. ”Those animatronics are pretty cool.” I point to the moving props of cupids, fluttering by. He doesn't say anything and continues observing the scene. "Look at those holograms!" I tug on his jacket. He nods, looking at it silently. I look at the green hat wearing teen “Kyle...are you mad?”

”Why do you say that?” He forces a smile, but his eyes aren’t smiling.

”Was it something I said? You don’t seem happy.” I grip his jacket, not letting go. He stays quiet for a bit, before speaking.

”What did you mean...when you said we would never date?” His voice is low, compared to the music and sound of running water, but I still can clearly hear him.

”I...” I’m not sure what to say,. I'm confused at why it would upset him in the first place.

”Is it because I’m Jewish, or that I get angry, or that I yell a lot?” His voice slowly rises with each point. “Is it because you would never like someone like me?”

”No, I do like you, how can I not?” I almost shout at him. “I don’t care if you’re Jewish, what’s that got to do with us never dating? I only said that because we are friends.” I say to him, as the colorful display of lights shine, behind us.

”Because we are friends... you would never date me?” He tilts his head annoyed.

”I don't want to date...especially my friends.”

”Why?” He seriously inquires.

”Friends don’t date each other.” I tell him point blank. “Friendship is the most important thing to me.”

“So...it’s not about me?” He speaks confused.

”No...” I feel myself tear up. “You’re so important to me. I always want to be friends with you, Kyle.”

"Friends can become lovers." He defends. "Would you rather date a stranger?"

"Why are you saying this?" I look down to the flowing water.

“Y/N...” He casts his eyes away from me, when he notices my watery eyes. “Sorry..." He stays silent for a while, "I lost my temper again. I wanted us to have a nice time, but I made you sad.” He says with regret.

”No...I made you feel bad,” I say, now comprehending his concern. “I shouldn’t have said that in the first place. It was rude.”

” _Never_ is a strong word, we don’t know what will happen in the future.”

”I guess. I should have said ‘because we are friends’, instead of ‘because we will never date’.” I carefully reflect, "it almost sounds like I find the thought of dating you disturbing, but it's not like that."

”Would we date if we weren’t friends?” He asks curiously.

”No, I just, I don’t know if I ever want to be in a relationship like that.” I confess.

” _Never_ and _ever_ are both strong words.” He muses, “that may change someday.”

“I don’t know...all I know is that...you're one of my best friends, and I don't want to lose you, and dating is something I don't think about or even want. Friend or stranger, I don't want to date either." I heave a heavy sigh, "I think I would feel lonely once you ever start dating too.” I continue my ramble.

”Why?”

”Because I might not get to do something like this, if you were dating,” I pat the boat and motion to our surroundings, “you wouldn’t ride the Tunnel of Love with me.” I give him a sad smile as the realization dawns on him.

“Even if I start dating, I won’t make you lonely.” He sincerely tells me. I smile with misty eyes.

“Especially if it’s _you_ I’m dating.” He chuckles, making me blush.

"I can imagine...whoever you end up dating will be really happy. I'm feel kind of...not just lonely, I don't know what I'm feeling." I feel my heart aching. He straightens his posture and gives me a warm smile.

"Maybe someday..." He mumbles.

"Maybe someday, I won't be so weird." I laugh.

"I don't know if that's possible," he teases. "I shouldn't have gotten mad, I need to work on that." He thinks out loud.

"Maybe," I lean my head on his shoulder, enjoying the ride. "Even if you get mad, it's better if you let me know me, like when you yell at Cartboy." He relaxes his shoulders, accepting me. "You can yell at me like you do to him, but I might cry." I warn with a small chuckle.

"Making you cry is the last thing I want."

We stare ahead at the show of lights.

"I can't yell at you, like I do to him, but I'll talk to you next time, instead of hiding it. You're nothing like Fatass, that's why I like you."

"I like you too!" I giggle and he grins, looking onward. We don't say another word as we soak in the atmosphere. I glance at him, admiring the lights reflecting in his colorful eyes, and when he catches me staring, he smiles warmly at me. The ride ends and Kyle holds his hand out for me to grab, as I move off the boat. "Gosh, you're such a gentleman."

"It's hard not to be, around you." He smirks, making me giggle.

"Y/N!" Kenny spots me nearby, and waves among the gang. I guess they waited for us.

"Took you two long enough, I'm not getting any younger, grandmas." Cartman eggs us on. I look to Kyle, expecting him to say something, but he's looking at me with a cute smile. That smile is dangerously cute, I can feel a blush coming, feeling the after effects of our emotional voyage. "What are you two doing?" Cartman angrily squints at the lack of responses. Craig walks up to me and hands me a stick of cotton candy, without saying a word.

"Is this for me?" My eyes sparkles, looking at the fluffy pink cloud. He gives me a stoic nod. "I love sugar! Thanks Craigy!" I notice Jimmy behind him, back in his normal clothes. He's faster than Cartman eating KFC chicken skins. It's a story I heard from the guys earlier today. We decide as a group to ride one of the popular roller coasters, earning a dramatic groan from Cartman.

"How was the Ferris Wheel earlier?" Tweek asks me as we walk behind the group. "It's my favorite ride."

"Oh! I didn't know that. Let's ride one together next time." I smile to him, earning one back. "I was a little scared with Stan since it was so hi-" a group passing, by bumps into me, causing me to crash into Tweek. He manages to keep me from falling. "Sorry Tweek!" I look up to see him glaring at the group behind us. "Tweek?"

"Huh? Geh! Are you okay?" He twitches in concern.

"I am thanks for..." I look to the ground. My cotton candy fell out of my grip, without me noticing. I can feel my eyes water.

' _I'm super emotional today!'_

_"_ O-oh no!" Tweek shouts, looking from my cotton candy to my devastated expression. Craig notices, and picks up the cotton candy and tosses it into a nearby trash. He runs off, disappearing into the crowd. I start to cry a little, feeling a massive wave of embarrassment for being so dramatic, and for being so easily triggered today. The rest of the boys notice, running back to us since they continued walking, not knowing what had happened. "Y-Y/N ACK it's okay! Y/N..." Tweek rubs my back, twitching from panic. I crouch, feeling terrible, I'm not holding it in well right now.

"I'm s-sorry" I sniff. "I'm sorry." I can hear them gently calling my name, reassuring me that it's going to be okay. "Sorry..., we're having fun and..."

"Y/N." I hear Craig's breathless voice and I look up to the sight of a fluffy pink cloud. Craig is holding out a new stick of cotton candy, with his shoulders moving up and down from his heavy breathing. He must have ran to get me a new one. I take the stick and smile to him with tears in my eyes.

"Y-you didn't have to."

"I didn't know you liked cotton candy that much," he teases, earning a flinch from Tweek who helps me back up. I let out a snort and break into light laughter. 

"Th-thank you, geez, I'm not doing great today."

"You're doing you're best. " Tweek comforts me. I can hear the others murmur in agreement.

"Let's get going," Cartman whines, "the roller coaster will scare the sad right out of you!" He declares. I perk up when I see Kenny, walking up to me with a mischievous grin and open arms. I run around Butters, and hide behind Craig, reading Kenny's intentions.

"W-wait, don't pick me up again!" I laugh, wiping my tears.

"I have to Princess, I _need_ to!" Kenny laughs as Clyde gets in his way to help me.

"Run Y/M!" Clyde dramatically shouts.

"Don't!" I grab Craig's jacket from the back. Craig gets into defense mode, having a playful standoff with Kenny.

"Uh not this again, fellas..." Butters sighs.

Soon, I'm nibbling on my cotton candy, as we line up in a not so long line. The fun thing, about being in line with all of them, is that they make the line seem shorter with their endless jokes. Mostly if we ignore Cartman's grumbling about the lines. Cartman urges Jimmy to go to the line for disabled individuals with him, so he can get a shortcut, but Jimmy refuses, saying he wants to sit with all of us. I get seated in between Craig and Tweek. Craig has a small smile so I can tell he's excited. Tweek doesn't say a word, but his noises and body language show that he's freaking out, but still smiling in anticipation. Tweek and I scream at every drop, with Craig shouting from the thrill.

"T-tweeki-khins, are you good?" I feel the butterflies as the coaster goes upward.

The coaster goes to a steady halt, "Yeah I'm goo-" before dropping, "holy shit! AhhhhhhhhHHH!" He screams and I scream along with him. Tweek grabs my hand in the moment, but doesn't let go even, when the ride gets suspiciously slower before the surprise drop. I'm not the best with heights, but the quickness and spontaneity of coasters keep it fun for me. Craig has a blank expression and smiles, as it suddenly drops, twists, or goes upside down. I like seeing all sides to him. We ride another ride, with me next to Token and Jimmy, this time. Token throws his arms in the air, cheering with Jimmy shouting along with him. I decide to sit out of the the next ride, to relax and save my throat, on a bench. Jimmy joins me, while the rest even Tweek, runs off to the next adrenaline rush.

"Brb," I tell Jimmy before he can ask. I use the restroom, fixing my hair, and squinting at my flushed appearance. I have been on an emotional high all day. I find some beverage vending machines on the way back and buy two cans of pop. I sneak up behind Jimmy and press the freezing can to his cheek.

"Gaaah!" He jumps.

I laugh, "this is for you."

"Yeah?" He grins, showing his teeth.

"You must be tired from all the shouting, and running Stan back and forth."

"It's a w-work out but I don't m-m-mind." He opens the can, making sure the foam doesn't overflow. "H-how are you holding u-u-up?"

"I'm doing better because of all of you." I smile, fiddling with the gloves Kenny gave me in my pocket. Jimmy snickers to himself as if he knows something I don't.

"What is it?" I sip from my soda can.

"The b-b-bros, we played 'rock, paper, scissor' to s-s-s-see who could have some alone time with y-you."

"Wha? Really?" I laugh, "when? Why?" I question him.

"After you went with Stan, and because we w-w-wanted to."

"You guys are dorks."

"S-s-says the biggest dork." He grins.

"Who's next?"

"L-last lucky f-fella is Kenny."

I nod to his words. We drink as he tells me some jokes while we wait. When the gang arrives, I can see they're having a blast, and I feel happy that they're enjoying the day, as much as me.

"Ken! I heard you're going to spend time with me?" I smile to him and he looks at Jimmy.

"Yep! Let's go Babe!" We walk off in the direction Kenny guides us to. The sun has slowly begun to set, making his gold hair pop out even more. We really spent all day at the Amusement Park.

"Thanks again for the gift Kenny. I rarely receive gifts from friends." I tell him. He looks a bit surprised, but smiles. "What are we going to do?" I wonder. He hums, keeping it a secret.

"You'll know when we get there." He strolls through some families and stands, admiring a gorgeous attraction.

"Really?" I inquire with a giggle.

"Why not?" he smirks at me, waiting for my approval.

"I love Merry go Rounds, but aren't we a little too old?" I look at the guests, sitting on the benches and large decorated horses. There are families with kids and a few couples on the Merry go Round. The fantasy carousel looks beautiful with the backdrop of the setting sun. I always found carousels romantic, they always remind me of a fairy tale, but I don't tell Kenny that.

"You're only as old as you feel." He tells me, stroking a nonexistent beard.

"That's cheesy," I smile. "Let's do it! I want to ride a horse!" He smiles, getting in the short line. Kenny helps me hop on a tall white horse and helps straps me in. Instead of sitting on the horse next to me, he stands, holding on the house and my waist. "You don't want to ride?"

"I'm good here." He simply tells me. Usually, they don't let you stand unstrapped from rides, but the carousel is slow enough and only adults can stand. Kenny already seems to know this.

"Have you come here with Karen?"

"We have a long time ago. Right now, we can't afford it. My parents won't let me get a job or it would affect their checks from the government...or so they claim."

"I'm sorry." 

"Don't be. When I'm older, I'll bring you and Karen to the amusement park, whenever you two want."

"Me too?" I giggle. "Why?"

"It's the perfect date place." He wiggles his eyebrows. The carousel starts with its festive music and lights. The horse surprises me as it goes up and down the pole and startles even Kenny.

"I'm surprised you like Merry Go Rounds."

"It's cute, and you like cute stuff." He says the same thing as Kyle. They know what I like. "It's the perfect place to bring a Princess." He smiles as the ride whirls, making the people and setting sun blur around us.

"Is that why you're standing? My knight in shining armor again?" I smile.

"Your knight Mysterion." He says in his gruff voice, making me laugh.

"Whatever, you're so cheesy right now."

"You like it though." He teases. We enjoy the ride, seeing the faces of families, waving to their kids on the ride. The song ends and Kenny helps me off the ride.

"That was fun," I erupt in happiness.

"It's relaxing," he hums. "Let's ride again next time." 

"Yay, you promise?" I gush, cheerfully holding out my pinky finger.

He nods linking his pinky with mines, "I promise."


	30. New Explosions

"It's m-m-m-m-morphing time!" Jimmy runs off to change, to get Stan. It's night time now and the amusement park is bright with colorful lights, illuminating the whole park.

"I'm excited for the fireworks," I can't contain my excitement as I pull on Butters' bunny headband from behind him. He playfully tries to swat my hands away.

"We still have a few hours before midnight," Token checks his phone. "Then we can head back home."

"We should find a good spot before then." Kyle tells the gang.

"I know the best spot!" Clyde exclaims, pointing to a higher direction. "If we go to the little park area near the hillside, we can watch with the perfect view, with no one else around."

"I-isn't that area o-off limits? That's bad!" Tweek squeezes his drink.

"That's not going to stop us!" Cartman says, "I don't want to be around a bunch of families, and little pipsqueaks, while I'm trying to watch in peace. Let's do it."

"Psst...." Clyde sneaks next to me, as well as Kenny on my other side. "Fireworks are romantic," Clyde and Kenny both give me a flirtatious smile, and I back away, hiding behind Craig. He's the tallest, while Cartman is the thickest, but I still prefer to hide behind Craig. I peek from behind his arm.

"No funny business." I look at them with suspicion.

"We would never..." Clyde says to an equally mischievous looking Kenny, sharing the same thoughts.

"Hmm..." Craig says out loud.

"Hmm?" I say to him.

"Has anyone seen Y/N? I only hear a cat meowing." He teases, looking over my head, around to the gang. They shrug, shaking their heads. "I could have sworn she was just here?"

"Rawr!" I hiss, attempting to bite his ice cream cone, and he barely moves it away in time. I hop around, trying to steal it out of his hand. Dovahkiin shocks us, by offering his ice cream cone to share with me. He barely took a few bites. I look at him and his ice cream, and back to him. He innocently smiles at me, not saying anything. I would feel rude to refuse his offer, after making a show of trying to steal Craig's, even though I was kidding. I take his ice cream cone, and surprise everyone, by taking a lick. Kenny and Clyde drag Dovahkiin away in another direction, placing their arms around his shoulders, sandwiching him between them.

"What's the big idea Douchebag?" Clyde loudly whispers. "What's your game?"

"That's basically an indirect kiss!" Kenny whispers just as loud as Clyde. I blush since we can hear them. I'm pretty sure Dovahkiin isn't thinking the same way as them. Butters and Tweek lead me away, with Craig muttering how they're both idiots.

We notice a crowd growing where the park pathways are. "What's going on over there?" I say, not wanting to miss out on the whole park experience.

"That reminds me, I overheard a family sat that there's a night parade." Kyle brings up, making me hop in excitement.

"A night parade? And fireworks? Am I in heaven? Did I pass away in the principal's office this morning from all the backstabbing?" I pinch my cheek.

"Don't joke like that." Kenny taps my shoulder.

"I'm not sure when it starts, wait, let me ask." Kyle walks off to a group gathering, and returns with new information. "It's not going to start for another hour. Those people are just relaxing until it starts." Someone places their arm over my shoulder, and I look up to see a raven hair and blue eyed teen grinning at me.

"Stan! You returned from another war! I almost moved on!" I throw my arms around him, happy to see him again.

"That joke never gets old to you?" He greets the gang again. Jimmy returns with his casual outfit on, looking a little sweaty.

"Whew. I feel like I just ran a m-m-m-marathon!" Jimmy says to our amusement.

"What's up?" Stan asks.

"There's a night parade soon. We were thinking of killing some time until then." Kyle informs him. 'Anything you want to do Stan?" 

"Did you guys do bumper cars yet?" He casually grabs my shoulder.

"Not yet! Let's do it!" Clyde pumps up. We double check the park map, seeing that the bumper cars are close by.

"Racing games are awesome." Stan says to Kyle who agrees.

"I probably have the most driving experience here, besides Dovahkiin." Token points out.

"Oh yeah? I'm going to crash every single one of you with my car!" Cartman brags. Their competitive nature sparks, and next thing I know, we're all in our own bumper cars, ready to kill each other. Butters is sitting beside Kenny who is driving a two person vehicle. Tweek asked to sit next to me, so I found a bigger car. We're all in our cars as the trash talking begins.

"Ready to die, Jew?" Cartman threatens Kyle, across from him.

"Not before you, Fatass." Kyle taunts in return. My adrenaline is pumping, as we glare at each other with a fire burning in our eyes.

"O-oh Jesus! DOn't kill me,and Y/n, pleASE!" Tweek shouts to them. "G-go easy on us!"

"No mercy aka no pussy pass." Cartman spits. Clyde imitates revving up an engine along with Craig. I can see Stan tapping his hands on his wheel, as we wait for the cars to power up from the switch by the employee. Token and Jimmy are giving each other hand signals from across the room, they are definitely playing together. 

_'They're such dorks...'_

"On with it already!" Cartman impatiently yells. The employee seems to snap out of their drowsiness, flipping the switch to the machines.

"Whoa..." I feel the car power up. "Hold on tight, Tweek!" I press the machine's gas pedal, slamming into the person closest which happens to be a defenseless Cartman.

"Gyaaaaah!" Tweek shrieks, grabbing onto me from my side.

"Y/N?" Cartman gasps.

"Gotcha!" I laugh maniacally, making Tweek's eye bug out.

"W-what have I gotten myself into?" He screeches as I make a turn in an attempt to hit Dovahkiin, but he dodges by drifting his bumper car. 

"H-how is that even possible?" Tweek shouts "Gah!" It's becoming a bloodbath. Our cars smacks and clashes into each other. I cackle insanely.

"I... always knew it would come to this." I'm in a stare down between Kyle'd and Stan's car. It's a three way face off. 

"You're more formidable than we thought," Kyle peers from me to Stan.

"Your tyranny ends now Y/N," Stan clenches his wheel.

"Raaaaaaaah!" I roar, slamming into both of them, and pushing their car backs. "Ha ha weak!" I shout, high-fiving Tweek who has finally gotten over the initial shock of my ferociousness. Next thing I know, our car flies forward from a hit from behind.

"Gyeh! Kenny!" Tweek shouts, checking behind us.

"Golly," the passenger Butters smiles next to a smirking Kenny who drives away. Tweek and I look to see Craig slamming into Clyde, both laughing like mad men having an overdue showdown. Kyle and Stan do a double smash combo into Cartman's car, making him cry out. Dovahkiin and Token are pushing their cars, back and forth, in a tug of war. Jimmy bumps into Kenny. I press the pedal to smack into as many as I can. The buzzer goes off, ending my attempted massacre.

"You w-were WILD!" Tweek laughs by my side.

"I can't resist a good game." I dramatically throw on some sunglasses.

"A-are those Token's?" Tweek eyes widens in recognition.

"Yes, she snatched it before we got into the cars" Token laughs as I hand them back to him.

"Thanks man, I owe you one," I giggle.

"Good thing there were no kids here," Kyle laughs.

"Ah... I miss the open road," Stan pats his bumper car, "she calls to me."

"Whatevah, I got everyone!" Cartman smirks.

"I don't think any of us were really keeping track." Craig speaks up and we nod with him.

"Whatever, that's loser talk," Cartman grins with triumphant.

"We should head back to the main area, the parade is going to start." Craig checks the time. We make our way through the crowds.

"Do you think this is a good spot?" I tippy toe to see if there's any performers at the starting area. "I don't know if we can see from here."

"I can see just fine." Craig baits me, as he looks over my head, with a grin.

"Want me to carry you on my back?" Kenny asks. He sure likes picking me up for some reason, not that I mind.

"I'm tallest, I can pick you up." Craig offers, looking down at me.

"I f-f-found a good spot, fellas!" Jimmy shouts from among the crowd.

" **Tsk**..." Kenny and Craig grumble.

_'Did they just 'tsk'?'_

Nothing is blocking our view of the oncoming parade in the spot Jimmy found. A marching band, covered in patterned lights, starts the parade with whimsical music. Large bright displays on floats drive by, followed by mascots marching through the streets while spinning colorful batons. We watch in awe, as people clap and gasp in wonder, at the twinkling visuals and gymnasts. Glow in the dark balloons are handed to awe-struck children. The parade feels like it’s moving by fast, when in reality, we are simply lost in the festive atmosphere. The audience applauds when the entertainment finishes. We stroll to a less crowded area. I can feel the rush of the whole day catch up to me, but I don’t want the guys to notice, so I fight a yawn.

“Y/N?” Butters calls out to me as I'm spacing out. I dash to catch up. The gang decides they want a group photo for memories. I stand between Jimmy and Cartman, as a nice passersby takes our photo with Token’s phones. Clyde and Kenny pose on the ground in front of me as I hold up a peace sign. Token sends us the photo through group chat and I make it my new background. I stare at it with a smile as I walk after them. By the time I look up, the guys are nowhere to be seen. I thought I was following their footsteps but it was random strangers.

“G-guys?” I squeak out ,as I check out my surroundings, hoping to catch a familiar blue hat. It’s nighttime and the park looks different than the daytime. I don’t recognize where I am at all. I check my phone as someone is calling me. It’s Stan. My wonderful phone decides right now is the best time to run out of battery. It dies as I try to pick up his call.

_'Geez...I get wrongfully accused at school, I cry on and off all day, and now I’m lost with a dead phone.'_

Despite all that, I'm having a good time. I try retracing my steps, but the crowds of people lure me away from my original area. I'm more lost than I was a moment ago.

Suddenly, I recall what Jimmy said earlier. _”I-i-i-if anyone gets lost, meet up at the Ferris wheel.”_

Thankfully, the Ferris Wheel is huge. It's even more beautiful at night with decorated in lights, giving the whole park a surreal ambiance. I quickly jog in that direction, hoping to find my friends. I dart pass some people and arcade booths. I avoid bumping into a teenager who is around my age. He has a striking unique aura. I turn after a few steps to do a double take. He stops and turns to look at me as well.

His black hair is a little spiky and a bit long. He glimpses at me with his thick furrowed eyebrows. I can see his glistening eyes glowing beneath his dark bangs. It almost looks like a dark ruby red from all the vivid lights glittering around us. He's wearing all black and my fangirl sensors tell me he's really attractive. I wonder if I have seen him around school, but I would have remembered someone like him. He looks hard to approach, but for some reason, I want to speak to him.

_'What am I thinking?'_

I don't even know him. Now is not the time to be fantasizing.

" **Y/N**!" Some voices call out to me. I look towards the Ferris Wheel to see my friends jogging towards me. I turn to look back at the mysterious teen, but he disappeared among the crowd.

"G-g-good thing, we thought to come h-here." Jimmy smiles. I'm happy they looked for me.

"We were about to call the Lost and Found for a missing Y/N." Cartman jabs. "Attention people, if you see a Y/N, please return her to her friends. She's a crybaby wearing cat ears. You can't miss her." He imitates an announcer.

"Hamburgers! We thought we lost you! Well, we did, but now we found you." Butters smiles with relief.

"Sorry, my phone died." I glance around the group. "Where's Clyde?"

"He was just here!" Stan says.

"Please tell me he's not lost too." Craig groans and Stan pinches between his eyebrows. We move as a group, looking for the lost puppy, and find him buying himself a churro.

"Hey guys," he munches on the cinnamon treat. "We should head to the spot already to see the fireworks." He advises, oblivious to the fact that we were seeking him. We travel to the corner of the park away from all the booths, employees, and guests. It has signs and rope forbidding entrance since it's in a restricted area. We sneak under the rope and climb up the rocky hill. It's not hard, but I notice Kenny and Kyle are behind to protect me. The hill has trees overgrown everywhere. We reach the steady part of the hill, moving upwards to the top at the cliff side. I lay on my knees and crawl to the edge to see how high the cliff is.

"Be careful..." Kyle cautiously warns me.

"I'm always careful," I peek over to him "Wah!" I shout. Everyone whips their heads in panic towards me. "The Ferris wheel is really pretty from here!"

"Gyah! I thought you were GAH falling!" Tweek ushers for me to keep away from the ledge.

I laugh, "my bad, is that what you thought? Sorry." I crawl backwards, standing up. Token, Dovahkiin, Jimmy, Craig, and Kenny have climbed the trees to get even higher. They comfortably sat on thick branches that are strong enough to support them. I stare at them in envy and attempt to climb a tree, but fail.

"You can't get up?" Cartman swiftly and skillfully climbs up a tree, and Butters does the same. Craig lends a hand to Tweek, as he climbs to sit on the same branch with him, pulling him next to him.

"I just haven't done it in a while," I mumble. "I didn't know all of you were expert tree climbers."

" **One, two**..." I hear Kyle and Stan counting behind me, " **three**!" They startle me as they each lift one of my thighs, carrying me upward to a large tree branch. I flail my arms until get a good grip on the branch. They push me higher, allowing me to use their hands as a ladder. I struggle to climb up, but I somehow manage. I breathe out a thanks. Stan helps Kyle sit beside me, by using both of his hands as a lift. Stan dusts his hands and uses the tree trunk to climb up next to me so I'm sitting between the two. I happily swing my legs, enjoying the experience. I glance around, smiling at all my friends who are smiling in excitement.

"I wish I had some popcorn." Cartman sighs.

"It's going to start soon." Craig leans back dangerously, looking at the starry sky.

"I love fireworks, they're like flower explosions." I sing, throwing my hands in the air. Stan and Kyle look to each other and grin at my weirdness. 

"I knew this was going to be romantic." Clyde climbs to stand on his tree branch, making me gawk with worry. Kenny seems to catch on to what he is doing and stands on his sturdy branch, making me scared they both might fall.

"Y/N..." Clyde calls to me, bringing up both of his hands "there's something I really want to tell you. I don't care if the others hear me." He begins as I stare wide-eyed, wondering what he wants to say. "Y/N, I- " We hear a crackle erupt.

**_BANG!_ **

The first fireworks of the night appears with a loud explosion, brightening up the sky.

"W-what?" I put my hands behind my ears, trying to make out his words, as the crinkling of the falling gunpowder rains down. A series of continuous fireworks are making me unable to hear. It's almost deafening at this altitude. Kenny is shouting at me too with all his might, and the veins on his neck strain from the force. I tilt my head in confusion and signal for them to say it again. Tweek clambers up from his seat, shaking and balancing himself, with Craig making sure he doesn't fall off by hovering his hands. Tweek smiles at me, as he yells out to me, while slightly wobbling. Craig takes advantage of the booming noises and mouths words to me as well, when our eyes meet with a clever grin. I turn to Kyle but I can't make out what he is saying either, since he isn't yelling, and I turn to see Stan doing the same. I glance between the both of them, and their shoulders rise and fall from their unheard laughter.

_'What are you guys saying to me?'_

I smile at Dovahkiin and Token, who laugh at their failed attempts to convey something to me. Jimmy is using the opportunity to throw me hand signs, while slowly opening and closing his mouth, as he attempts to visually send his message. Butters gives me a light wave with a smile as cute as his bunny ears. Cartman is entranced by the the blasting visuals. He smiles when he notices me looking at him instead of the fireworks. He doesn't attempt to yell but slowly moves his lips in the same movements as the others. I peer backup to the night sky, glittered with stars, being decorated with bursting colorful designs. The rockets blasts into the sky, crafting fire flowers in various shapes and sizes. I gaze at the lights reflecting in our eyes. All I can hear are the rising cheers of my friends, the smell of gunpowder in the autumn air, and the fireworks I wish to imprint into my mind forever.


	31. New Hardship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Contains Triggering content, proceed with caution.

The firework grand finale explodes and the ashes flutters in the moonlit sky. We sit in silence with our pounding. Applause and shouts can be heard as the wind carries the echoes from afar. The boys jump down the trees, one by one, and I wiggle my legs, preparing myself to jump.

"Y/N, you can drop. I'll catch you," Kyle smiles, ready to spread his arms out.

"No...I'm good, I got this." 

_‘No, I don't got this but I want to try on my own, at least.’_

I scoot towards the trunk of the tree, hugging it as I get closer to the edge. I can feel their eyes watching as I hook myself like a Koala, and bring my feet to the trunk, trying to find a stable footing.

"Y/N, we'll catch you!" Clyde calls out, making me only more determined to get down on my own. I find a secure spot and work my way downward, grunting just a bit.

Craig sighs, "why are you so stubborn?" I climb down and jump the last foot of the tree, dramatically spreading my arms out, as I land to the ground.

"Hah! I did it!" I huff, proud of my small feat. Dovahkiin claps for me and I flip off Craig, making him flip me off with a smile. We make our way off the hill and back to the car, chattering about how awesome the fireworks display was. I raise my voice to ask the burning question. "By the way, what were you all saying during the fireworks? I couldn't hear a thing." They don't respond and share knowing glances at each other.

"I don't like repeating myself." Craig smirks at me and makes me pout.

"Clyde? Kenny? You were both yelling really hard, but I couldn't hear you. Can you say it again?" I ask, jogging in front of them. Clyde and Kenny both perk up with reddening cheeks.

"I only said it in the spur of the moment. I don't think I can say it again anytime soon." Clyde scratches his cheek, looking away.

Kenny rubs his nose with a small chuckle, "We did it impulsively..." he quickly pulls his hoodie up, and pulls the strings so I can barely see his face from my height. They're refusing to tell me.

"Umm...Tweek?" I peek behind them, earning a twitch from the jittery Blond.

"Y/N... ACK! It was n-nothing!" He rapidly shakes his head, with wide eyes darting away. “I n-need coffee.”

"It didn't seem like nothing." I mumble. "Well, what did you say?" I look to Cartman who turns his brown eyes away, whistling. "Stan?" Stan puts his hands in his pockets, striking up a conversation with Kyle, acting as if he didn't hear me. "Kyle?" Kyle increases his walking speed with Stan, and they leave me behind while chatting.

I stroll over to Jimmy who fiddles nervously with his walking braces. He dodges my question before I can ask, by hopping over to Stan, telling him they should leave soon. He runs off to the restroom to change into his hero outfit without even looking at me. I puff my cheeks, turning to Token, Butters, and Dovahkiin. Butters yelps at my intense stare, running next to Token. "Okay, okay! Fine. No one wants to tell me. You better tell me again, someday! I'm going to die from curiosity." I receive no response so I cross my arms, blowing hot air.

Dovahkiin shows me his phone. 'Y/N, let's exchange numbers.'

"Sure! My phone is dead so can you send me a text tomorrow? I want your number too."

He nods as I tell him my number and he saves it on his phone.

"Douchebag, are you making a move on Y/N after hearing what we said earlier?" Cartman lifts his eyebrow at him.

" _We_? You said something too?" Kyle inquires and Cartman ignores him.

Dovahkiin shines his phone at all of us. 'If she needs to get away from all of you, she can contact me :P’

"Meh." Cartman shrugs. Fast Pass is waiting at our cars, looking ready to go.

"We should bring you back now." He says to Stan. I run to give a quick squeeze to his unsuspecting self.

"See you next week!" I smile to him, and then I remember. "Thank you for the headband! I normally don't receive gifts." I mumble shyly.

He smiles to me. “Bye Y/n."

"Goodnight Jim-Fast Pass, thanks again!"

Fast Pass gives me a toothy smile and I watch as he lifts Stan on his back with ease. Before they leave, Token tells everyone Scott will give them their school stuff, along with the bag Nichole protected for me, tomorrow. Fast Pass and Stan are gone in a flash of light. Butters and Kenny leave into Token’s car to go home for the night. I thank Craig for both of the cotton candies and Kenny for the cute gloves.

Everyone waves goodbye as Token drives away. Dovahkiin is waiting in his car with Cartman in the front with him. When I settle into the car next to Kyle, the exhaustion hits me as soon as I put on my seat belt. I can hear them speaking, but I can't focus. I slowly blink as I drift away into a deep sleep.

By the time I wake up, I barely register where I am. I notice I’m in my own comfy bed in my familiar bedroom. The sun stings my eyes and I go to check my phone, only to see that it is still dead. Connecting it to the phone charger, I throw my head back to my pillow to process everything that happened yesterday. It feels like a dream, a long one, that started as a nightmare and ended with fireworks. Time goes on and now I have to face reality.

Images of Wendy secretly smirking behind her fake sobs, being falsely accused of attacking three students, the intimidating adults, being threatened with suspension and expulsion, failing my project, crying, lots and lots of crying, the amusement park, my friends, new acquaintances, red eyes, and the visions of the fireworks, overwhelms me and brings me to tears. I really don't feel like leaving my bed anymore. I wonder if I can stay here like this for the whole weekend. My cat ears headband is still on so I take them off. I decide to clean up. I place the gloves Kenny gave me into my bedside table, after admiring them for a while, as I prepare myself to have a dreaded conversation with my parents.

After my shower, I throw on a white turtle neck top with long sleeves, under a loose black spaghetti strap dress. My parents are in the kitchen preparing breakfast. It looks like they’re staying home for today. I can’t seem to recall their schedule right now. My mom greets me with a smile and my dad sets his phone done, ready to speak to me.

”Nice of you to join us for lunch Y/N.” My dad says, putting his hands together.

”Lunch? I overslept?” My reaction causes them to smile, and they both sit at the table across from me. I stare at the cup of juice my mom places in front of me, before I find my words. “I didn’t do anything wrong." They stay silent, waiting for me to continue. "I worked hard on the school project and I didn’t do anything to those girls.” I tell them directly, without beating around the bush.

”We believe you, for the most part.” My dad tells me as I release a breathe I’m holding. “You never had this problem in your old school. You always kept your grades up and you never retaliated against anybody, even when you could have.” He frowns at the last part. My parents turn to each other and nod. “We were thinking...”

My mom opens her mouth to speak, “if you want to move-“

”No!” I shout, standing up and startling them. I shake my head, sitting back down. “No. I have friends here. I don’t want to move or change school. Everything seems like it’s going wrong, but I have my friends with me.” I tell them, blinking away any tears that try to work their way out. I try not to cry in front of my parents, since I don’t want them to think I’m weak and worry about me. “I-I I’ll figure something out. I won’t cause any problems. Will you let me handle this? We don’t have to move. I like it here, I love it here.” My eyes begin to water against my will. My parents look at each other, communicating only with their eyes, before looking to me.

”You never cause us problems, Honey.” My mother speaks to me in a soothing tone.

My dad clears his throat. “We will let you take care of this on your own, but if it becomes too much, you can come to your mother and I. We understand you like to deal with problems on your own, but you can trust your parents too.” My dad stands up next to me, and tenderly pats my back, before leaving. “I’ll be the garage.” He yells out to us, without looking back.

“What about lunch?” My mom shouts to him and he tells her to leave it in the fridge for him. My dad leaves when he feels uncomfortable or needs time to think. I don’t blame him, since I feel like running away myself. Maybe I got that from him. My mom brings the lunch she prepared for us and sits next to me. "Your father and I have to go to the South Park Town Hall Meeting. They want to discuss ways to make the town better, and speak about what happened at school as well. We don't know when we will get back." She doesn’t speak about school anymore, but asks about what I did yesterday.

”The guys took me to an amusement park, and then I fell asleep on the way home. I don't even remember how I got in bed.” I laugh awkwardly. “I ditched school...I’m sorry.” I confess to her, putting down my fork.

”I understand why you did it, but try not to make a habit out of it.” She tells me, sternly but softly. I nod to her, keeping it a secret that I already ditched last week for the first time, even though it was a surprise. “Kyle brought you home last night, your father was beyond shocked.” My mom has a playful smile in her face.

”Oh? He’s the one who brought me home?” 

“He carried you in his arms and brought you upstairs. We had to let him in.”

”I’m sorry, I was really tired.” I feel embarrassed my parents saw me like that, especially since Kyle is a boy. It’s okay since he’s just my friend. I begin to recall our conversation from yesterday. It’s not like I’m not attracted to Him.

_‘He would be amazing to date_ - _what am I thinking?’_

I shake my head. She compliments Kyle, making me feel happy she’s favors my friends. After lunch, I go back to check my phone status. I received a text from an unknown number. 

‘Dovahkiin’s number.’ The text reads, making me laugh from the bluntness. I add his number and text him a hello, receiving a response right away.

Dovahkiin: How are you?

Me: I’m feeling well rested. Sorry for falling asleep in your car. Thanks for driving!

Dovahkiin: No prob, you drooled only a little bit.

Me: I did not! I bet I looked cute sleeping.

Dovahkiin: ngl you did.

Me: Right?

Dovahkiin: You snored really loud too.

Me: I did not!

Dovahkiin: :P

Dovahkiin is pretty silly. I’m happy I’m getting closer to another classmate. The Goths in that class are going to have to share me.

Dovahkiin: Don't worry about the crap that's spreading on social media.

_‘What crap? What did he mean?’_

I jump into the group chat, not expecting the havoc happening on it.

**Group Chat**

**Sweetweek:** YIKES! AhhHH!H!!! WHAT'S HAPPENING?! GAH! Y/N!!!!

**Craigbot:** FUCK.

**Kyte:** I think she’s still asleep. She doesn't know.

**Coonman:** What did I tell ya?

Girls are nothing, but trouble.

They can suck these balls, but I don't want their disgusting mouths anywhere near me.

Bleh.

**Secksi_Ken:** Who do I need to fight?

Give me names!

**Chaotic_Bun:** FUDGE! GEE WHIZ!

I'm really angry, fellas!

**Stanholic:** What's happening?

**JimJams:** Students from our school are trending rumors about her.

**Craigbot:** They're saying dumb shit, like she attacked those girls and is bullying Wendy.

**JimJams:** The three girls are sharing their fake stories everywhere.

This isn't real news. People need to know the truth.

**Clydelicious:** I'm trying to get people to stop sharing it, but new ones keep popping up!

She can't catch a break!

**Tokn:** They're having fun, bandwagon hating.

Rumors come and go fast at our school, but it's spreading faster than it normally would.

They aren't even listening to Nichole. This is bad.

**Stanholic:** Goddammit Call Girl. I'm going call her right now.

**Kyte:** It looks like they want to #expose #cancel her.

There's a lot of fake stories in the comments too.

**JimJams:** They're treating rumors like facts SMFH.

**Sweetweek:** GYAH! I don't KNOW what TO do sO I'm BAKING hER CUPCAKES!

**Y/N_chan:** What should I do?

I don't know!

I told my dad I would handle this! but this is a little too much, even for me.

Should I just confess I did it, even though I didn't?

I feel like screaming but my parents are downstairs. I can barely type, I'm shaking.

They said it would only end in detention and I can make up the class project...

I feel like I'm going to go crazy.

I don't want to get expelled!

_I just moved here not too long ago, and it already feels like the town hates me._

**Sweetweek:** EXPULSION?!!!?! WE DIDn'T hear about THAT!

**Craigbot:** Y/N. We're not going to let you get expelled.

**Kyte:** We're going to help you.

**Clydelicious:** We are!We've already reported anonymous Coonstagram accts and got them taken down.

**JimJams:** I'm working on an article denouncing all the rumors.

**Coonman:** You better thank me Y/N. I'm working on this on a weekend, when I could be doing something else.

You owe me.

**Secksi_Ken:** How dare they do this to my Princess uhfsdhkjsdf

I'm ready to throw hands.

**Stanholic:** I got off the phone with Wendy. She's not going to stop.

Godfuckingdamnit!

_‘Didn't he say he was calling Call Girl so why Wendy?’_

**Chaotic_Bun:** Y/N don't panic, the fellas know what to do.

I'm panicking. No, the guys can't fix this. The mess started with me. I shouldn't rely on them to help solve me my own problems. Yesterday, they helped me run away from my problems. I have to take care of it before it drags them down with me. The more time that passes, the more problematic. They're my friends, I don't want them to look bad or trouble themselves. This is frustrating. The doorbell rings.

"Y/N! You have a visitor!" My mom calls from downstairs. I fix my expression to look neutral, instead of whatever ugly face I'm probably making. I walk down to see who it is. The person standing at the door is a cute freckled curly hair teen.

"S-scott?" I stare with curiosity. My mom leaves us alone.

"Hi Y/N. Umm, I knew you lived here since Kyle lives there." He chuckles shyly. "I came to return your bag." He holds up my backpack with the Hello Kitty keychain hanging off of it.

"Oh my goodness, thank you!"

He passes it to me.

"You went through all the trouble."

"Don't mention it," he smiles at me with his pearly white teeth. I stare at his mouth, admiring his smile. "Is there something on my face?"

"N-no, you just have really nice teeth, it's perfect!" I compliment him.

"Oh...thanks." He smiles bashfully, "I used to wear braces, but now my teeth are good!" He says proudly as I agree with him. "How are you doing? Nichole wanted me to pass you a message when she gave me your bag. She said sorry."

"Why is she sorry?" I ask.

"She feels guilty, because it's her friends that are doing this to you." He tells me while I play with the key chain on my bag.

"It's not her fault. I'm doing so-so right now, to be honest."

"If you need anything, let me know."

"Thanks Scott." I smile to him as he leaves with a wave. I go back to my room to lay in bed. I just need to sort out my thoughts. I can admit to everything to the principal and take my punishment, even though I'm innocent, or I can get rid of the rumors.

_’But how?’_

It looks like my friends are trying to get it taken down online. Either I have a lot of haters, or they are going against someone who is really great with technology. I don't know the girls who lied so I can't speak to them. That only leaves Wendy. I need to talk to her.

Maybe I can get her to retract her lies as impossible as that may seem. She hates me, but maybe we can work something out, just between us. I lay in bed, contemplating and feeling sorry for myself, until my parents pop into my room to let me know they are going to the Town Hall conference. I feel bad that they have to go to the meeting, looking like supposedly bad parents that raised a terrible daughter.

I pull up my phone and stroll through my blocked phone numbers. I unblock her and send a simple text with just her name. Within minutes, I get a response.

Wendy: Looks like you unblocked my number. That's laughable.

I frown at the text, and take a deep breathe before I respond.

Me: Wendy. Can we talk about this?

Wendy: What if I say no?

Me: Please. 

Wendy: That's not how you beg.

Me: Can we talk about this, please?

Wendy: Begging in person sounds better.

How about we meet soon?

I'm on a date, but I can squeeze you in for a few minutes.

Me: When and where?

Wendy: Come to Stark Pond at 5. We can chat, one on one.

Alone. I don't need you trying to sick one of your loser guard dogs on me.

Me: Okay. Don't do anything funny.

Wendy: Wow, maybe I won't meet you then?

Have fun getting expelled. [ _heart emote_ ]

Should I block you?

Me: I'm sorry.

Wendy _:_ I don't know...beg some more.

Me: Can you please meet with me? Please.

I grit my teeth, wanting to do nothing but yell at her.

Wendy: That's what I thought Bitch. See you soon.

_‘Wendy Testabitch!’_

I throw on thick socks and warm shoes, while matching my outfit. I'm not trying to impress anyone, I don't want to appear as a slob to my a fellow, even if she hates me. At this point, I don't care what she thinks of me, but I'm not going to let her have an easy target.

I leave the house, making sure not to be seen by Kyle or anyone else. We're just going to talk and I don't need them getting her angrier with a direct confrontation. I stroll through the neighborhood while deep in thought. I need to fix this before it gets worse. I reach Stark Pond in record time. I don't see Wendy anywhere, even though it's five o-clock. There's a car nearby so I assumed that belonged to her or her date.

"I see you made it, Y/N.” Wendy walks out from behind a tree in the woods. I walk towards her while clenching my fists together. I'm not going to punch her, I just want to keep my hands from shaking. 

"Wendy." I saw through my teeth.

"Well, I'm here. What did you want to talk about?" She looks at her nails as if looking at me is already boring her.

"Why...no...can you tell everyone the truth?" I glare at her uninterested face.

"Why should I? I could get you expelled. That would be awesome. I can finally get rid of you." She giggles, admiring her nails "You look like you want to hit me."

"I'm not going to hit you."

_’Even though I really want to!’_

"Aw... if you did, I would cry about how you're using violence on me too." She snickers to herself and makes me angrier.

"What do you want?"

"You should just get expelled, well, that's what I thought until Stan called me today." She grimaces.

"So?" He did say he talked to her in chat.

"He kept yelling at me. _Me_! His first love! He used to say I was better than other girls, and that I was the love of his life, when we fucked. He was supposed to come begging for me to get back to him, but then you came." She hisses, peering at me pass her manicured nails. "Why should I tell everyone the truth, when you need a reality check? You're not all that." She scoffs in my direction.

"I never said I was? Can you stop making these assumptions about me? Why are you doing this? I get you don't like me, and that you're mad at me, but I'm not doing anything to you."

"You're an eyesore." She sneers at me. “Y/N this. Y/N that! It's soo fucking annoying. I don't get why everyone likes you."

"Everyone doesn't like me. You don't."

"Well, duh! Why should I? Because you're little miss good girl? I can see through your fake act. Either you're the biggest two faced bitch I ever met, or you're that desperate for everyone to like you. I can't stand seeing your dumb face."

"What's wrong with wanting everyone to like me? I'm just being myself."

She rolls her eyes groaning, "why don't you act real for once. Just admit it. You're fucking with your boy toys, you're little harem. You’re not so innocent,” she crosses her arms staring me down. "Makes me sick. I hate seeing bitches, like you, getting drooled over by boys, when you're not that pretty or smart, just like Lisa Berger. You can’t even compare to me."

"Who’s Lisa Berger?"

"Exactly.” She laughs.

"Um...I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. I'm not fake. You are. Don't project who you are onto me. I'm not you."

"I could ignore Red and Heidi not helping me get back at you, but now even Bebe is acting weird! That Bitch would do anything with me, because we're BFFs, but now she's telling me that I'm going to far? What the fuck? I don't know what you're doing, but you better stop."

"How many time do I have to say it? I'm not doing anything! Nothing! It's all of you! You and your minions, or whatever, won't stop harassing me at school. I can ignore it, but now you're lying, and now I might get expelled because of you? What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me. I'm perfect." She brushes her long silky black hair behind her shoulders. "So you want me to stop? Make me." She taunts. "I would have just settled with making everyone hate you, but since you brought Stan into this, I'm going to make you regret ever messing with Wendy Testaburger."

"Geez. I'm sorry, okay? Are you happy now? What can I do to make you stop?" I feel myself getting desperate and my anxiety is at it's peak.

"What do you want?"

"You're not really sorry. If you were, you would do what I say. Maybe..." she taps her fingers on her arms, "if you stop being friends with everyone, I’ll consider telling the teacher you _did_ help me a little on the project."

"No." I tell her point blank. "They're my friends. I'm not going to give them up. What else can I do?"

She sighs, rubbing her head. "You don't making this easy. I've been too nice."

"Do you want money or something? I can give you money." I try to reach a compromise, but she snickers.

"Oh my God. You think I want money? Me? I have a rich boyfriend from North Park high. I can have anything." She takes out her phone, waving it at me. "It's the newest phone.”

"Then what do you want?" I'm almost shouting from frustration.

"Get out of my face. If you get out of my face, then I'll think about it." She casually plays with her phone.

"How?"

"I don't want to see you, in class or anywhere near the boys.”

"Uh no."

"I thought we were making a deal here? I don't have to be here, why do I even bother? This is going nowhere." She twists behind her and impatiently taps her foot . "Honey?" She calls out towards the woods.

"What's up? Are you done with your girl talk?" An attractive boy appears from the woods. He walks up to her while spinning his car keys.

"Yeah, she's being a Bitch." She pouts as the teen wraps his arm around her. He gives her a light kiss on her lips.

"Is this the girl?"

I turn around to the voice as three teenage boys approach me.

_’When did they get here?’_

One of the teens is holding his phone with a twisted grin. A chill shoots up my spine, making me break out in cold sweat.

"She's pretty cute, can we really play with her?" One of the bigger teens says.

"Yep. She's all yours, she's the school’s biggest slut. Don't forget to send me pics, okay?" Her boyfriend leads her away in the direction of the car I saw parked. "Bye Y/N," she waves without looking back. This is bad. I'm in danger.

"Thanks Wendy!" One of the teens holler. "What should we do first-" I don't even wait for them to finish talking. I bolt into the woods as fast as my feet can take me. There’s no way I’m falling into a horrible trap like this. My friends aren't here to save me. No one is. I can hear their footsteps not too far behind. I didn't get much of a head start. These guys are faster than the girls I barely out ran. After zigzagging through trees, I throw myself behind a large tree trunk with overgrown bushes, hoping they run past me. I force myself to control my heavy breathing from the sudden sprint. Their angry hounding gets louder as they get closer. My heart is pounding painfully against my chest. I hear them stomping their feet as they run by.

"We should split up!" A guy coordinates. I hold my breath, until I no longer hear their stampeding. I take in a deep breathe as my phone goes off at max volume. Someone is calling me at the worst possible timing. Since my phone died yesterday, I forgot to fix the volume after the loud amusement park. My legs take off running, knowing full well they heard my ringtone playing in the abandoned woods. I fumble into my pockets to silence it as soon as I can.

Maybe if I run out to the streets, they won't do anything in public. It's my best shot, better than running around aimlessly through the woods, while dangerous animals hunt me down. I dash into the direction I hope the streets are, and to my luck I find it, but it's devoid of people. Their heckling grows louder. I'm a sitting duck in the middle of the empty streets. I vaguely recall the adults are at that stupid Town Hall meeting. I run past some buildings and alleyways as I see an empty warehouse with the doors slightly ajar. I make a break for it, hoping to find a place to hide. I crouch behind some equipment in the dark building, trying to find any escape route with my eyes adjusting.

"This way! I saw her run in here." A male voice says, opening the door.

"That cunt is fast." A deep voice heaves. "Let me play with her first. Wendy said we needed to punish her for making her mad."

"She's mad? I'm fucking pissed off! My new shoes are dirty!" Someone spits. "Bitch, where are you? I'll make you pay for this! You can't run forever!" Someone kicks a bucket, startling me, and I almost gasp out loud. It sounds like they're tearing up the place. Loud clatters can be heard as a tower of boxes fall. I see a door in the very back of the warehouse.

_’What if it's locked?’_

Either way, I'm going to have to try because it's only a matter of time before they find me. I see a loose screw on the ground and get an idea. I throw it in the opposite direction to draw their attention away from where I need to go.

"Found you!" They run to the noise as I dart to the door at the other end.

"She's right there!" One shouts but I make it to the door. Turning the knob, it won't budge. I let out a cry as I unlock it in a hurry and escape out the door, slamming it behind me. The door doesn't shut all the way as they shove it open, hitting me in my back hard as I tumble down. The males quickly surround me, holding me to the ground.

"No!" I cry, thrashing my limbs as they struggle to hold me down. A large hand covers my mouth, muffling my screams.

**"What the fuck, are you fuckers doing?”**


	32. New Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First time writing a fight scene and it was so hard...
> 
> Warning: Contains Triggering content, proceed with caution.

**"What the fuck, are you fuckers doing?”**

The three teens turn to the source of the shout. The voice sounds familiar and I strain to see from my position. My angle is limited so I force my head to turn, irritating the guy gripping over my tightly mouth. The unexpected guest flips his long black fringe out of his eyes, glaring at the boys. 

_‘Pete!’_

A street lamp flickers overhead, making his red over black hair stand out among the darkness.

“Who the fuck are you?” The teen, who is pinning down my legs, barks in annoyance by the sudden intruder.

“Get lost. Mind your own fuckin business, Fuggot.” The stranger holding my arms over my head, scowls menacingly at him.

“We don’t have time for you, emo Douche.” The third teen digs his nails into my waist since he’s struggling to hold me down while covering my mouth with his other hand. Pete takes a long drag of his cigarette, furrowing his eyebrows, displeased by their choice of words. He slowly blows a cloud of white smoke, flicking the ashes away smoothly.

“I’ll ask again, what the fuck, are you fuckers doing?” He exhales, impatiently tapping his boot. I bite the palm over my mouth hard, making the guy immediately snatch his hand away.

“Pete!” I yell as the teen cries out.

“That hurt Bitch!” The bitten teen smacks me in retaliation, making me yelp. Pete drops his cigarette, crushing it with his heel.

“Typical dumbass North High kids and their awful fashion sense.” He wrinkles his eyebrows together, peering at their clothes in disgust. “You’re just asking to get identified, wearing your lame conformist school logo everywhere. What’s there to be proud of, being a shitty horny mutt?” Pete casually speaks, not the least intimidated by their eyes shooting daggers at him. “Your parents’ wealth and accomplishments aren’t your own. Fucking parasites.” The two holding my limbs let go, and stand up seething with rage. The teen holding my mouth throws himself on top of me to hold me down. "I bet it must hurt to constantly live under dad's shadow, leeching off what you can never achieve yourself." Pete smirks from successfully provoking them.

“You don’t know when to shut the fuck up, emo pussy.” The guy hisses through his teeth and rolls up his sleeves.

“You should have gotten lost when you had chance, fuck face.” The other guy spits towards Pete, clenching his fists and rolling his shoulders. Pete confidently loosens his bolo tie while giving them a silent death glare.

“Hold still, Whore.” The male over me pushes his full body weight on me, as we watch the scene from the sidelines. The two teens charge at Pete, not waiting for him to get into a fighting stance. Pete effortlessly evades them, as they clumsily try to land a hit on their target.

“Two against one? You bastards need every handicap you can get.” Pete grumbles, stinging their egos. Pete dodges a punch, before using his boot to strike a teen right in the gut. The teen crouches over in pain and vomits on the ground. 

“You asshole!” The other teen swings at him, missing Pete's head by a few inches. Pete throws a swift punch to his cheek and knocks him backwards. He staggers, rubbing his injured cheek, before pouncing back. Pete moves fast, kicking him downwards on the shoulder, and bringing him to his knees. He kicks him again to the hard ground.

"Shithead!" The nauseous teen stands up, shaking away his stomach pain, and spews curses at him. He catches Pete's chin with his fist. Pete jumps back, adjusting his jaw with his eyes darkening, before rushing underneath the teen to deliver an upward punch. The previously fallen teen wobbles upward, ready to fight again. They’re like stupid zombies who just won't stay down.

I struggle beneath the agitated teen above me, throwing my legs upwards to kick him off. From under him, I flail shamelessly, wiggling and squirming. I manage to successfully knee him in his junk between his legs, distracting him long enough to roll out from his clutches. Crawling away, I try to stand up, before feeling the teen grab my ankle behind me, twisting it painfully. I shriek as he pulls me down towards him.

"Stupid cunt,” he snarls. I kick him as hard as I can with my free foot in the center of his face, hearing a startling crunch. He howls, covering his nose as blood streams on the collar of his jacket. "Y-you broke my n-nose? You really did it now!" He screams furiously. I don't give him a chance to attack as I elbow him in between his eyes, and he releases my ankle, falling backwards in agony. I turn to Pete as he thrusts a teen's arm in the wrong direction, snapping it roughly. The guy stumbles to the ground crying. I notice the other teen fumbling desperately into his pockets as he pulls out what is hidden. The knife shines in his shaky grip, under the broken street light stretching his shadow.

"Pete!" I rush forward at the guy, ignoring the pain in my ankle, tackling him to the ground. Pete acts quickly, punching the hoodlum. The teen thrusts his weapon with all his might, stabbing Pete. He twists the knife jammed into his arm, spilling blood before yanking it out mercilessly. My eyes widen at the sight of the fresh red liquid dripping out, as a sudden crash of unbearable pain ripples through my brain. My brain feels like it's splitting apart and my vision goes blurry, as I throw my hands to my head, catching myself from where I sat. The unusual headache throbs chaotically, as if it is ripping and tearing from my temples to my head's core. I force my eyes to peek at Pete as throws his hand over his gashing wound.

"Shit!" Pete utters a deep groan. "That's playing dirty," he clenches his teeth, before grabbing the teen by the collar and hammers him with his fist repeatedly. The teen receives an instant black eye and bloodied mouth, losing his front teeth and whimper as he drops the weapon to the floor. "You fucking pieces of shit, garbage eating maggots!" He throws the teen to the ground, who scrambles to his feet and runs away in fear. "Mother fuckers!" Pete aggressively shouts. The other guy screams and runs after his accomplice, while holding onto his dislocated shoulder. "Piss off shithead." Pete growls at the teen I fought off, as he runs into the opposite direction sobbing audibly. "Fucking hell." He exhales wiping sweat from his head with his good arm as he drops next to me. "Y/N?" He breathes while looking at me. I shake my head, waiting for the pain to go away as I feel it slowly start to fade.

"M-my head is killing me." I dig my fingers through my hair, massaging myself.

"They hurt your head?"

"N-no..." I forcibly ignore my pain, looking at his arm. "Y-you're hurt, Pete!" I hover my hands over it, full of panic.

"It's fine. It's just a flesh wound." He says, squeezing it with his hand. "W-what are you doing?" I don't answer as I tear my long sleeve with my teeth and gently pull up his sleeve. The wound doesn't look like a surface injury at all. I dab the seeping liquid with my other sleeve, and wrap his open wound with my torn sleeve as a bandage. I tie it together securely as he hisses from the injury.

"W-we need to get you to the hospital!" I cry out anxiously, flinching from the disappearing headache.

"Relax. I'm going to disinfect it when I'm with the others. Henrietta is good with first aid." He says, fixing his appearance. He looks a little roughened up, but it's nothing compared to how badly he wrecked the others. He stands up and notices my reluctance. I put my hands to the ground to help myself up, before faltering back down.

"What's wrong?" His eyes trail to my reddening and bruising ankle. "Shit, it's swelling. You're ankle is sprained."

"I-I'm sorry Pete." I sniffle, digging my nails into the dirt. "You got hurt because of me."

"Look." His voice deepens and I raise my eyes to him. “I was at the right place at the right time. I don't regret helping you." My eyes falls to his arms, before dropping back to the ground. Pete steps close in front of me, before turning around. He crouches, turning his head to me. "Get on my back." He demands and I shake my head.

"I can walk." I assure him.

"Not with that ankle, it's going to get worse." He mutters.

"B-but your arm."

"Just get on. I'll be fine. This isn't my first fist fight." He asserts as I move closer to him. I wrap my arms over his shoulders. as he grabs my thighs and stands up. He adjusting me on his back as he lifts me up. Silently, he walks over the gravel and bits of snow.

"Pete...thank you."

"I didn't do anything."

"No, you did. You helped me." I tighten my grip over his shoulders. "You saved me. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up."

"Who were they?" He finally questions, "what happened?"

"I don't know. They're Wendy's friends." My lips tremble, while recounting the events that transpired. "She's not happy with me." Pete turns his head slightly, catching my eyes. He turns away, looking forward.

"Is that why you were crying yesterday?" He softly asks.

"Huh?" 

_‘Pete saw me cry yesterday?’_

I instantly remember bumping into him after I ran out of the office. "You saw that? I'm sorry..."

"Why do you keep apologizing?" Pete sighs. "The rumors about you spread like wild fire, after you left school with the school's trouble makers." He speaks as he strolls in a direction I assume is Henrietta's house. "It's probably a good thing you weren't there. It was annoying hearing everyone's yapping in class, even from our teacher. She kept ranting and Wendy was acting like such a victim. It was disgusting."

"I see..." I lose my grip for a second. "I keep causing problems for everyone." Pete stops in his tracks at my statement.

"I..." he hesitates, before clearing his throat, "I want to apologize."

"What?" I perk up in surprise. "Why?"

"Ever since I met you, I thought you were a weirdo." He confesses with regret.

"You're not the first one." I interrupt, not feeling offended.

"N-not in a bad way, but it was strange seeing you genuinely like everyone and complimenting us all the time. You try so hard not to cause trouble and be liked by every conformist. You can't be accepted by everyone, it's stupid to even try. I thought you were pitiful and desperate, but..." he looks upward as snow begins drifting around us. "You keep joking around with us, Goths, in class and outside of it. Even though we knew you were being shunned by students from our grade, we didn't care, especially since you were always laughing when we talked to you." He straightens up when I accidentally let a sob escape my lips. "I'm sorry..." He whispers as I shake my head, even though he can't see it. He turns his head, feeling my movements. "For not caring earlier, I'm sorry." He says under his breathe. Droplets of tears fall onto the back of his shirt, one by one.

"I'm sorry...I'm wetting your shirt." I sniffle, attempting to wipe my tears with my shoulder yet failing. My silent weeping doesn't stop along with the dancing snowflakes around us.

"Don't worry about it." He continues walking as the gentle ice rains from the sky. I pull away from him, gazing up and watching the endless snow petals fall slowly with each of his steps. I feel him shiver slightly, and I press myself closer against him.

"Am I warming you up?" I whisper through my tears. "I can be your heater." Pete lets out a dry chuckle at my attempt.

"Maybe. Keep hugging me like that and I won't be."

"I like when you laugh." I faintly confess. "You, Goths, always have a serious expression, but your smiles and laughs is really cute."

"Don't be a sappy conformist." He warns me, while not sounding the least bit threatening. "There you go again, complimenting me."

"I mean it,” I say seriously, "I mean what I say."

"That's why you're weird," he sighs, "people normally don't do that unless their trying to kiss ass or flirt with someone."

"I just want to tell everyone why I like them or why they're great."

"I see, that's still weird, but...it's not bad being like that, I guess." He gently replies as he flips his hair.

"It's the dilemma of being a fangirl, like me."

"Is that what you call it?" Pete smiles when he turns to peek at me. I admire the almost transparent snow as they fall on our heads. I brush the snow off Pete's red and black hair before they melt. I'm glad my headache went away. Not long later, he knocks on the door to someone's house. The beautiful Goth queen Henrietta opens it with her eyes slightly bugging out.

"Pete? Y/N?" She questions and lets us in. I let out a hello as Pete continues carrying me to her room and asks for her to prepare first aid. Michael and Firkle are in her Goth aesthetic decorated room. They look at us in surprise, from the Gothic literature they are reading, comfortably on Henrietta's rug.

"What happened?" Michael stands up, looking at our appearance. Pete places me on a chair before speaking.

"I was on my way here for our poetry night, but some North High conformist losers were trying to rape Y/N or something, so I beat the living shit out of them." Pete tells him and I confirm his statement with a nod.

"He saved me. I can't thank him enough." I smile warmly at Pete, and his face reddens from my display of affection.

"Those North High trash, they're just a litter of rich brats who thinks they're entitled to everything." Firkle angrily frowns. "They would be better off getting neutered and thrown in a ditch with the rest of the dumpster rats."

"Who should I aid first?" Henrietta pulls out a box from underneath her bed, looking from Pete to me, and we both point to one another at the same time.

"Get the girl. I'm always in pain, living in this constant Hell of life." Pete flips his fringe. I slightly moan from the pain, as Henrietta skillfully bandages my sprained ankle.

"I feel you. My mom abuses me daily with her horrible conformist attitude and keeps trying to change me from who I am. Sorry, I'm not a glittery sparkly unicorn, mother." She grumbles as I thank her for helping me. "We heard about the rumors at school." She looks to me. "That's what happens when you deal with everyday conformists."

"You...don't believe in the rumors?" I ask, looking from face to face.

"We don't care enough, whether to believe in it or not." The curly haired Michael, with the striking features, turns to me. "However, we don't believe a silly conformist like you could do violent things like that. Unless you secretly hold an insatiable rage and grotesque darkness in your soul ,that even us Goths couldn't detect, but I highly doubt it. You're not that deep." He says, not trying to insult me.

"Y/N looks like a harmless lamb, but who knows." Firkle shrugs. "Stranger things happen in South Park." My eyes well up from their consideration.

"Thanks."

" **Don't do that**." Michael and Pete say in unison. Henrietta is cleaning Pete's wound with disinfectants and wrapping it with an actual bandage.

"Do what?"

"Get all soft. We're Goth." Michael exclaims, "we don't do that here." I nod with my lips rising uncontrollably. I smile at them widely, earning a groan from all of them.


	33. New Wounds

I happily smile and begin to hum, making the Goths groan. Henrietta shakes her head and massages her temples.

"Team Stan, Team Butters, Team Craig, who? I'm with Team Goth now."

"No way are we going to be ' _Team_ ' anything, we're not conforming." Michael huffs, tapping his cane that he grabbed from behind his back.

"Goth gang? Goth fam? Goth squad? Goth Group?” I mumble to myself, trying to think of a cool name. "Goth baes?”

" _Noo waaay. That's so Goth, and so us,_ " Michael says with sarcasm. I nod, pretending not to know he's being his usual sarcastic self, and I clap.

"Got it. Goth baes it is!” I squeal, making him face palm.

“Are you going to go home looking like that?” Henrietta scouts over to me. I look down at my shirt with a torn sleeve, and the blood on my hands and shirt. My black dress is fine at least.

“I’ll say I caught my sleeve on something.” I mumble, making them shake their head at my terrible excuse.

“You can borrow some of my clothes, I don’t mind.” She rummages through her closet, throwing me a stylish black coat. "Don't infect it with your wannabe Miss ‘happy go lucky’ disease." I give her a grateful thanks, inhaling the scent from her coat.

“What are you doing?” She deadpans and I heat up, recognizing my strange behavior. I act without thinking sometimes.

“Sniffing for Goths, this smells Gothic.” I insist.

“What’s a Gothic smell?” Michael teases, as Pete brushes his fringe out of his eyes with his finger.

“I imagine like coffee, cigarettes, and...darkness.”

“Spot on.” Michael nonchalantly grins, as I slip on the coat.

“Am I Goth yet?” I giggle. Firkle lifts his eyebrows, examining my appearance.

“Dark clothes? Blood on hands? Bandaged wound? Almost Goth, except for your face. Wipe that smile off.” He advises. I give him an exaggerated frown. “Even your frown is happy, what the fuck?” The boy sighs, picking up his book.

“My lips smile, but my soul screams in endless torment, searching for a way out the dark with only a candle lighting the way.” I convey, and manage to crack a tiny smile from the intimidating kid.

"Sounds almost Goth." Henrietta thoughtfully considers. I watch her take a breath from a fancy looking pipe with smoke coming out of the larger end. Her beautiful shiny black hair, black dress, and makeup perfectly matches her room.

"I'm not like preppy or something. I just like all of you so I can't help it." I press my cheeks together, staring at them with sparkling eyes and an enchanted smile. "You're all so kewl," I borrow Cartman’s pronunciation.

“Y/N.” Pete tosses his dark bangs ,“you’re creeping us out.”

“I always wanted to hang out with you, at least once. Bucket list, check!” I sing, wiggling in my seat.

"So what are you going to do about the others and Wendy Testabitch?" Henrietta asks while ignoring my fangirling. I burst into laughter hearing the pet name.

"I don't know." I fiddle my the hem of my black dress. "I went to the Park near Stark Pond to talk to her."

"Alone?" Firkle asks, looking up from his book. I nod as he releases another sigh at my carelessness.

"I just wanted to ask what it would take for her to stop, but it didn't work. She wants me to stop talking to my friends, and I'll never do that." I feel my emotions storming inside of me. "Then she sicked those guys on me, and Pete showed up like a badass. He was so cool, fighting those North Park thugs and making them run away while crying." Pete cheeks slightly redden from my shameless swooning.

"Those North Park posers really need a good asskicking." Michael says, "it's long overdue."

"My friends," I continue, "want to prove my innocence, but I don't want them to get involved in my stupid drama. I'm have to figure out this out. I need more time to think."

"I don't know if thinking will solve anything. Shanking someone might." Firkle's tone tells me he's not joking.

"Hmm..." Michael thinks out loud, "I never seen that expression on you."

"What expression?" I tilt my head.

"You look angry." Firkle responds for him. I widen my eyes, feeling my eyebrows loosen. My eyebrows are tightly knit and my lips are curved into a deep frown.

"It's a nice look, compared to your usual one." Michael says as Pete flips his hair again with a slight nod.

"You hold in too much." Pete adds.

"Definitely." Henrietta mischievously grins at me. "If you need to scream, feel free. It'll be music to our ears." I massage my face with my hands, but stop when I see Pete's blood on my hands.

"That reminds me, I should get home soon. My parents should be back from their meeting with the school. Hopefully, nothing happened."

"Those meetings can go on forever." Henrietta tells me. "It's a nice break from my parents' constant nagging."

"Where's your restroom?" I ask, "I should wash my hands." Henrietta sets her pipe down. She walks over to my chair.

"I'll show you." She leans next to me, motioning for my arm so I throw my arm over my shoulder.

"Thanks." I mumble, feeling slightly embarrassed from the extra care.

"You're a guest. Even if you weren't invited." She grins at me, helping to balance me at her side, as I hop to her restroom.

"Will you invite me, someday?"

"Only if you bring some coffee." 

"Awesome, I'll rename myself 'coffee' then." I laugh as she rolls her eyes at my lame joke. After she brings helps me back to my chair, I smile nodding to myself. "I confirmed Henrietta is a Goth Queen with a heart of gold."

"Please don't." She brings up her hand stopping me. "Don't do that Y/N thing. It's not Goth." She bluntly tells me.

"Can't stop, won't stop. What if I write you a poem?"

"If it's Goth, sure. But if it's a love poem, no thanks." She smirks as I snap my fingers in disappointment. Michael casually pokes me with his cane. 

“How are you getting home?” He asks as his dangling earring glistens, and catches my eye.

"Oh yeah..." I think about my parents. and then my phone.I release a gasp when I remember the call I missed. I squint at my phone to see the screen is cracked and feel myself sweat, while I check all the functions. The phone still works, despite the lines, and the screen is still visible, but I don't see any missed calls. In fact, the most recent call shows I had an eleven minute long call.

_'How is that possible?'_

I feel a cold flash flow through my body as I realize I must have answered the call. Instead of rejecting the poorly timed ringing in the park, I must have picked it up instead, when I was running away desperately and fumbling, without looking. The name on my phone reveals it to be with Tweek.

_'Oh dear God no...did he hear anything? '_

“Gyah!” I shout, standing up while forgetting my ankle is sprained. I fall to the rug. The Goths don’t get startled by my actions, but look at me with expressions mixed with confusion and amusement. "Aaah!" I screech from the pain of hurting my ankle just now, and cringing from worry for my dear anxious friend. "Poor Tweek!"

"What is it?" Pete asks, flipping his hair for the umphtieth time.

"I accidentally picked up the phone while I was getting chased! Tweek must be freaking out!"

"I think it's you who is freaking out." Michael says, "you want a ride home?"

"Yes, please! Do you have a car?" 

"Now he does." Firkle smirks at him.

"Before Michael got his own car, we used to jump start whomever or steal one from our parents." Pete casually admits.

"Wow. Daredevils." I snort.

"Emphasis on the Devils." Henrietta corrects.

"Goth baes." I giggle.

" **No**." The Goths say at the same time as well as me.

"Jinx." I happily chuckle that I accurately predicted their response, and they shake their heads.

"Do you want to use my cane to get to the car?" Michael asks, and before I can reply, Pete picks me up off the rug.

"This is faster." He tells his friend and we head to Michael's car. I blush from how casually Pete touches me. I guess physical contact doesn't concern him, after everything we've been through. My torn sleeve previously on his arm was covered in blood, so it's good he has a new neatly wrapped one now.

"Thanks Pete." I smile, trying to hide my face. He looks at me with his eyes skillfully traced with black eyeliner, and doesn't say a word. He helps me into the front of the car, and once we're all settled in, I wave goodbye to Firkle and Henrietta who decides to stay behind until their friends return for their Goth poetry night. When we see Michael's car, I can't help but gush about how beautiful it is. Michael proudly pats the midnight black car and tells me it's a vintage import. Michael plays his Goth music and I feel my tension drops as the lyrics soothes my distress. I send a quick text to Tweek, letting him know I will call him when I'm home soon. He doesn't respond.

_'Maybe he didn't hear anything and just thought I answered the phone via buttdialing? '_

When Michael drives close to my house, I notice my parents' car isn't in the driveway yet. Apparently, those meetings digress into a bunch of other topics, according to Pete who is sitting behind me. Michael parks across my home and Pete lends me a hand as I struggle to get out of the car. We make it a couple steps, before I hear footsteps approaching from Kyle's house.

"Y-Y/N!" A blond cutie shouts. It's Tweek rushing towards me with some of our friends, such as Kyle, Cartman, Kenny, Craig, and Clyde.

"Hi!" I greet them, surprised. Craig reaches me first, furrowing his eyebrows at Pete's hand under mines. I feel Pete let go and the others circle around me on my lawn. I turn to Pete who disappears from my side. When I turn my head to the car, Pete is already sitting next to Michael.

"Too many conformists, bye." Michael states once Pete rolls down the window.

"Bye Y/N, take it easy." Pete says as Michael restarts the car. I slowly wave at them, impressed that they are making a smooth getaway.

"Thanks Michael, thanks Pete!" I smile to them before they drive off.

"GYAAAH! AH! Y/N, w-what happened? You're hurt! The Goths?! What's happening?" He panics, pulling at his hair.

"Are you okay?" Kyle shouts, looking down at my feet. Kenny pulls off his hoodie, revealing a worried expression like the others.

"What the fuck happened?" Cartman knits his eyebrows together, gaping at me and the car down the road.

"The Goths?" Clyde looks like he’s about to cry.

"Um.. before that...let's go to my house." I slightly limp, motioning towards my home. Kenny takes it as his cue to pick me up from the ground and carry me.

"Ken Ken?" I blush from his thoughtfulness but he turns his head away from me.

"GYAH! Y/N..." Tweek whimpers behind us as they follow me to my house. Kenny grabs the keys I take out from my pocket and unlocks the door while holding me, kicking it open.

"I'm glad my parents aren't home yet..." I whisper. Kenny places me on the couch, where the gang huddles around me, asking many questions with their worried eyes. Tweek utters small noises looking like a nervous wreck, and the rest of them, unhappily glance from my face to my ankle.

"Umm...what's up?" I casually ask, not sure where to begin. I'm feeling too many emotions right now. Seriously, my boys are my biggest weakness.

_'My boys?'_

" _What's up_?" Cartman raises his voice in annoyance.

"Y-Y/N!" Tweek screeches, flinching and pulling at his improperly buttoned shirt. Clyde pats his back in an attempt to ease his tics.

Kyle speaks up first. "Tweek said he called you earlier, and when you picked up, he only heard rustling noises and then men shouting in the background. Then he heard loud sounds and heard you screaming, while guys were yelling at you before the call cut off." Kyle calmly relays, despite how he looks. It sounds like Tweek heard me, running and then getting caught by those hoodlums.

"He was panicking in our group chat," Clyde informs me, "all of us started freaking out when we didn't know where you were or who with. Fast Pass was running around town looking for you after he read the chat, until you texted Tweek."

"I'm sorry, guys. I'm sorry Tweek." I tell the shaking teen. "I didn't know you heard all that, I picked up by accident."

"What happened?" Craig states sternly. Kyle, Cartman, Kenny, and Craig look at me impatiently. I drop my gaze to my hands, feeling apologetic. I feel like I did something wrong.

"I reached out to Wendy." I hear them sucking in air. "I wanted to talk to her and get her to confess that everything was a lie, but she didn't want to unless I stopped being your friend." I can hear them curse under their breaths.

”What happened to your ankle?” Craig deepens his voice.

"Did she do this to you?" Kenny almost shouts. I don’t make eye contact with any of them, feeling their gaze burning into me.

”My parents should be home soon...” My voice trails off.

”Y/N!” Craig yells, making me jolt up.

”Ack Craig d-don’t GAH yell at her.” Tweek calls him out.

“You need to tell us.” Kyle speaks in a low tone.

”These three guys, Wendy’s friends from North Park High, snuck up behind me. She wanted them to _play_ with me and take pictures. I ran away from them into the woods. When I was hiding, Tweek called me, and I tried to hang up, but I answered by mistake .I was running from them, since they heard my ringtone. Then I ran onto the streets, but no one was around, so I hid in a warehouse, but they followed me.” I quickly speak, not stopping except to take breaths. “When I was running out the door they slammed it behind me and forced me to the ground. That’s probably what Tweek heard...” I look up, seeing Clyde and Tweek with watery eyes. Kyle, Cartman, Kenny, and Craig look angry, and I feel bad for making them feel that way.

“Then what happened?” Craig clenches his fists at his sides, almost growling.

”Before anything could happen, Pete walked by. He beat up two of the guys and one of them stabbed him.” I tear up, remembering his wound. “He saved me, if he wasn't there those guys might have...I don’t want to say it.” It’s scary, saying it out loud.

”W-what happened to your ankle?” Clyde solemnly asks.

”I managed to fight one of the guys, but he twisted my ankle. Henrietta bandaged it up for me.” I smile, reminiscing about her caring assistance. “The guy who sprained my ankle, hit my cheek, but not as hard as that druggie did last time. You guys remember?” I smile to them. "You should have seen me! I gave that guy a broken nose! And I kicked him in the nuts!” I nervously chuckle, trying to make them smile yet none of them do.

"Th-this i-isn't funny!" Tweek cries out, making me drop my lips drop.

“Why did you go alone?“ Craig scolds me. “It could have been much worse.”

”I didn’t want to trouble you, guys, anymore, and I thought I could talk her out of it."

”Well, you thought wrong.” Craig refutes.

“I live right next door, Y/N.” Kyle says to me. “Right there! You didn’t think to ask me to go with you? Why did you go alone?”

“Sometimes, I wonder if you even use your brain sometimes Y/N." Cartman clicks his tongue. "People are out to get you and you _la di da_ outside like nothing is wrong. That Bitch Wendy. I knew she's sick in the head.”

”We said we would help you, didn’t we?“ Clyde doesn’t look me in the eyes, as he frowns off to the distance. "Why are you so stubborn?"

"I'm right there..." Kyle grumbles, pulling his hat over his eyes.

“You're too naive, you should have told us.” Kenny scolds me.

"We warned you about Wendy." Cartman shakes his head. "We warned you."

"I didn't want you to fight my battles for me." I sulk, tugging at Henrietta's coat. "It began with me, it needs to end with me. I can solve this on my own." I feel myself getting defensive. "Why does it matter? You, guys, aren't involved."

"You almost got raped!" Craig yells, startling me.

"What if you got killed?" Kenny squeezes his eye shut, lost in thought. I can't respond, because I know they're right, but it still hurts to hear how everything could have gone wrong, because of my decisions.

"Eek Y-Y/N doesn't need this right now!" Tweek pipes up, silencing everyone.

"Guys...let's get out of here. We're getting too emotional." Clyde chokes out, making his way out my door. He must be feeling emotional, himself. They leave after each other, not saying another word. Tweek is the last to leave, stopping midway out my door. He turns his head to me.

“If you ever want to be alone, but not be lonely, I’ll be here.” Tweek says without twitching, before closing the door behind him. I sit on the couch staring off into space, feeling numb.


	34. New Wonder

I limp to the restroom, throwing my torn shirt into the garbage, and change into my pajamas. I need to apply ice so I go to the kitchen to get the emergency ice pack we keep in the freezer. I press the ice pack against the injury until it numbs from the cold. My parents enter the home, with my dad grumbling in frustration about something. This might be a bad time to show them my sprained ankle, but it's not like I can run away. Their eyes bug out when they see me, and I quickly confess I went out and had an accident, but my friends helped patched me up. They rush me to the car to go to the hospital. It can’t wait until the morning, because my parents leave to go to work for a few days again.

My mom uses the opportunity to tell me about the Town Hall meeting. Apparently, South Park is an interesting place with a lot of characters, but they adapted quickly. The meeting was a combination of people welcoming my parents to town, and others giving them backhanded compliments about what they heard about me. Word spreads fast and someone always knows somebody. At least, no one confronted them to their faces, but there was a lot of passive aggressive whispering. The teachers went up on the stage to give a speech about being held accountable for bullying, and what to do about bullies. Someone shouted we should leave, which some people murmured in agreement. I feel bad that they had to go through that, but my parents are strong. My dad told me not to worry about what anyone says, and to do what I think is best.

When we get to the Hell’s Pass hospital, the doctor confirms it is only a minor sprain, that should heal up in two weeks. We're told I only need an anti-inflammatory drug to help with the swelling, which the pain killers I take provide, and to ice it often, so that the swelling could go down and can heal faster. They give me an arm crutch to help keep the pressure off my sprain and send us home.

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and dwell on everything. There’s nothing new in the group chat so they must have talked in the guys chat. I know I would feel guilty seeing how Tweek must have panicked, so it’s probably a good thing. It's strange that Stan or Butters haven’t called me. I'm guessing the guys informed them about everything, and they must be upset too. My ankle hurts thinking about Wendy, the fear as I was being chased and caught, and seeing my friends being disappointed and angry. My heart hurts worse and I pull my blanket over my head with a groan.

My parents leave the next morning, after asking if I want them to stay home with me, but I reject their offer. It's a real pain, going up and down the stairs, though. My friends still haven't reached out to me, and I'm too nervous to reach out to them. Hopefully, they calmed down a bit since yesterday. I peak out the windows, noticing a large number of clouds in the sky. Maybe it will rain today, I haven't seen it rain in South Park yet. I finish my homework and distract myself by reading fanfics, while waiting for the guys to say anything in chat.

_'What should I do about school tomorrow?'_

While I stretch my ankle, I look out my window, seeing Kyle's curtains are closed. Usually, he keeps it open and I love seeing him by chance.

_'Should I apologize?'_

I shake my head.

_'Why should I?'_

The dark clouds roll by, casting large shadows over Kyle's house and mines. The cloudy sky reflects my mood. They're awfully quiet in group chat, and I pout to myself. We never go through a day without spamming memes or talking about random stuff to each other. After considering different options in my head, over and over, I finally make a decision about what to do about school. I type up a simple message to send the chat. After rereading it a couple of times, I finally press enter.

Y/N_chan: Tomorrow, I'm going to tell the school that I didn't do anything, but I’ll ask them to give me time to prove my innocence. If it means I won’t get expelled, I’ll take the detention, suspension, or whatever.

I wait for a response and receive none. I can see that they all read it, even Jimmy and Token.

_'Maybe I should call someone?'_

I call Butters, but it goes straight to his voicemail ,and then I call Stan yet he won't pick up either. They usually answer right away, maybe I got spoiled from that. On another note, I need to replace my phone. I don't know how much longer it will keep working. I'm draining my personal savings. I spend the rest of my day, applying ice to my ankle, taking pain killers, reading fics, listening to music, and checking my phone for any response or messages. The movie I'm playing barely catches my attention. My anxiety is through the roof and I can't relax. I feel restless, but since I need to stay off my feet, I can't even pace around this excess energy. It's now evening and I don't feel any better. My phone pings, notifying me of a message. Scrambling for it, I look at the name and my hands clam up. It’s from Wendy.

Wendy: You keep ruining everything.

Now my boyfriend is mad because of you.

I will give you one more chance.

_'When will she fucking stop?'_

Y/N: Bitch! Your friend stabbed Pete and sprained my ankle!

Unless you want to apologize or finally want to stop fucking with me, fuck off!

_'I have absolutely zero patience for this right now.'_

Wendy: Oh boo hoo.

Anyways, I will take back my accusation, if you do me one little thing.

Tell Stan to get back with me and to stop being your friend.

Pretty generous if you ask me, it’s just one guy. Do we have a deal?

I almost feel my vein pop out. If my phone wasn’t a drop away from death, I would have thrown it in anger. I don’t think before calling her, and she answers.

“Well?” She impatiently asks. I take a deep breathe in.

“You've got to be fucking kidding me? How dare you? How fucking dare you? Apologize to Pete! Apologize to Stan! Stop being a bitchy bitch, Wendy Testabitch! Stan is my friend! I’ll never let a friend date a person like you! Ever! Go to Hell!” I hang up when I run out of breathes. Her number gets blocked right away and I huff in satisfaction.

_'The nerve of her!'_

I’m just glad none of the other exes of my friends have tried anything. A shiver crawls up my spine from the thought. I don’t even know their past flings and former relationships. I rather keep it that way.

Droplets of water splash against my window pane. I use my crutch to help me look outside. The dark blue sky is full of rain clouds, and covering everything in tiny sprinkles. A moment passes before the rain shower begins to pour. I hear it hitting my roof in a sea of taps. The sounds soothes me, so I turn off my lights and lay in bed to listen to the noise. I wish I can go outside and feel the water on my cheeks, hair, and hands, washing away all my troubles. Unfortunately, my bandage would get wet, so I just close my eyes enjoying the natural music and ambiance. It feels weird not being able to reach my friends. I hope they'll be okay by tomorrow, that _we_ will be okay.

**_BOOOOOOOOOMMMM_ **

An explosive thunder erupts, making me roll off my bed in fright.

_'What the? Why is it so loud?'_

Another one clashes closer, making me dramatically jolt up. The rain makes me feel peaceful, but stormy weathers are a different story. Storms like this are dark, noisy, and unpredictable. I could handle it better when I lived in the city, but it feels more raw out here in South Park. It's like I'm practically outside, being drenched with lightning and thunder, blasting all around me. Trying to get a grip of myself, I pull myself up, laughing at my own cowardice. I put on my noise cancelling headphones to drown out the sound.

_**KSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH** _

_**KHSSSSSHHH** _

"Eeeep!" Guess I shouldn't have expected much from these cheap ones if I can still hear it. Another thunderous boom applauds nearby, startling me. I know it's going to happen, but regardless, it's still gets to me. It isn't just the loud clatter that frightens me, it feels like there's a vibration or maybe my senses are hallucinating, because I’m in fight or flight mode. My body is involuntarily reacting to the storm, and I wrap my arms around myself, yelping out loud when another sound spooks me.

Thinking of relaxing things, and playing music loud enough to hurt my ears, isn’t working. It's times like these I really wish my parents were here. Immediately, I feel guilty for that thought, especially since I don't want them to think I can't take care of myself, or be by myself. I don’t have any traumatic experience with static electricity, so I don't know why I have this kind of uncontrollable reaction. 

_'How do other people ignore the thunderous noise?'_

My mind drifts to my friend next door, Kyle, and I frown at the thought that he might not want to talk to me this soon. I wonder how small animals feel about this weather, I'm sure they could sense it before it happens. I let my mind freely wander in an attempt to distract myself from the external explosions happening from above. The lightning strikes appear before the sound of thunder. Light is faster than sound. Thinking about the lightning sparks and stormy winds, makes me think about a certain Blond with superhero powers, Wonder Tweek.

Tweek.

_"If you ever want to be alone but not be lonely. I’ll be here."_

I recall his words. There's nothing I want more than to talk to him right now and to see him. He would know what to do in this kind of situation. I don't know, I just want him to be here with me, at this very moment. Fumbling for my phone, I sit up in bed and pull the blanket over my head. My fingers are noticeably shaking as I type a text message to Tweek.

Y/N: Tweek

Tweekikhins

Hello? Tweek, are youu there? Are yyou busyy right now

I press send, not bothering to correct my typos as I hear another loud bang. My anxiety from yesterday hasn't gone away yet, and right now, I can feel it growing in my gut and my heart is racing, painfully.

_'How long will it take him to answer?'_

My heart drops.

_'Will he even answer?'_

The others didn't respond or call me back. Maybe he's busy and I'm just being stupid. I scold myself for bothering him until his text arrives.

Tweek: Y/N...do you need something?

My lips tingle upward into a smile, with my blanket over my head, and the light of my phone glaring at my face.

Y/N: I miss you.

I cuddle up to my knees, feeling silly. I can't tell him I'm scared of a stupid storm.

_'What if it's normally like this during specific seasons? One of many loud storms.._.'

I shudder and feel a sense of helplessness.

Tweek: We just saw each other yesterday lol

Y/N: I know, I'm sorry.

Please Tweek, you said you will be here.

I grip my phone a little too hard, feeling cold sweat drip over my body, especially around my wrapped ankle. I don't want to be alone right now. I don't want my friends to leave me alone. My disturbed feelings are eating me from the inside.

My phone rings and makes me shout, "ah!" My ringtone isn't even loud. Squinting at my phone, I see Tweek's name. "He-hello?" I awkwardly stutter as I release my knees from my chest.

"Hey Y/N. W-what are you doing? GAH, Your texts are making me w-worried." Imagining Tweek's face as he talks, relieves some of my tension.

"S-sorry..." My feelings aren't doing well in this weather, it feels wild and sickening.

"I m-miss you too." He blurts out. My eyes well up from hearing those words. A small whimper escapes my lips before I can stop it. "Y-Y/N are you o-oka-"

A long thunder crashes making me scream.

"Y/N?"

"The th-thunder..." my words barely tumble out, "I'm sorry...Ah!” I scream again, hearing a deafening crash. This is bad, my anxieties are being heightened by this storm, and brewing to uncomfortable levels. Everything feels wrong.

"Y/N? Tell me. What’s wrong? Are you okay? W-where are you? What's happening?" His voice is loud over the receiver.

"I'm just at home." I assure him, "I'm just a little scared of the storm and I’m alone." I let out a fake chuckle. "Sorry, I know it's dumb."

"Jesus Christ! I-I'll be right there. Wait for me!" He ends the call before I can respond.

_'Tweek is coming? He's really coming?'_

I hope he gets here quick. I pull myself up, my heart pounding warmly from his kind gesture. before the storm drowns it out once more. I make my way downstairs with my blanket draped over me like a veil. I glide my hand against the wall, in case another sound threatens to make my legs wobble and make me lose my strength. Even with my arm clutch, I don’t feel stable. I nervously wait by my front door, not knowing how much time is passing. The moment I hear him knocking, I unlocked the door to see a worried out of breathe Tweek, holding an umbrella. He didn’t even put on a raincoat, or something warm. He must have ran right away. He throws his umbrella to the ground without shrinking it.

"GYEH are you o-okay?" He takes in my appearance band comes in. My eyes tear up just seeing him. I see a bright flash of light behind him.

_**KHRRRRRRSSSHHHHHHH** _

The thunder is loud with the door open. I scream, dropping my crutch and throwing myself against the wall. I cover my ears and shut my eyes. I try not to see the multiple lightning flashes, and Tweek quickly shuts the door. He comes over, grabbing both of my shoulders to hold my shaking form still. I ignore the throbbing from my ankle, as I cry out to cover the noises from outside. Tweek's voice finally reaches my ears when I release my fingers from them. He's calling my name. His green eyes locks with mines, and I throw my arms around him, as my blanket slides off my head.

"Tweek!" I cry, not caring about holding back my fear anymore. "I'm really scared! Really scared of thunder! Storms...it's too loud! I really wanted to see you!" I try explaining between shaky breathes. I'm hyperventilating and Tweet wraps his arms around me, holding me.

"It's all right, Y/N," he gently speaks, "it'll be alright. I'm here.” He pulls me in closer, "I'm here.” He comforts me, caressing my head and doesn’t let go, even as I slowly stop shaking. He covers my ear with his palm and presses my other ear against his chest. I focus on his loud heartbeat that is quiet, compared to the music I tried to play over the storm earlier, but somehow, this succeeds in making me feel more relaxed. I feel safer in his arms and with him being here. He came to see me, even before I could ask. He didn't have to be here, but here he is, helping me again. Tweek knows exactly what to do since he's dealt with anxiety attacks all his life.

"Wonder Tweek..." I whisper, shutting my eyes. Tweek must have heard me, because he holds me tighter, but not hard enough to hurt me. After what feels like a long time, I slide my hand onto his chest to look up at him. He isn’t twitching and his eyebrows are knit together from worry. His green eyes seek to comfort me. "Thank you, Tweek." I smile weakly.

"Y/N...are you feeling better?" His voice is full of uncertainty. I slowly nod, flinching hard when I heard a slight roar of thunder.

"I'm glad.” He almost whisper,s “I thought something t-terrible was happening to you again. I'm glad I could come to you this time." I stare at his face in the blue hue of the stormy night sky shining through the windows. The moonlight illuminates everything it touches, putting a blanket of blue all over us. Tweek's face is calm and steady, along with the rest of his body, all except for his heart pounding wildly against my hand.

_'Is he trying his best to keep calm for me?'_

Tweek carefully brings me upstairs, never letting go of my body. We huddle on the floor with my blanket, using the edge of my bed as a wall, so I can feel more grounded. He holds my hand, as we watch a random movie on his phone, with me resting my head on his shoulder. The thunder and flash lightning fades into the distance, leaving only the murmur of drizzling rain. I'm not paying attention to the movie. Instead, I'm feeling the movements of his shoulder as he breathes. The last thing I see, before falling asleep, is the vision of our hands entwined.

When I wake up, I'm tucked beneath the soft covers of my blankets, on top of my bed, with no Tweek in sight.


	35. New Punishment

_‘Tweek_?’ 

I send him a text, asking where he is. When he doesn’t respond, I send him a ‘thank you’ text. I wonder when he got home. I’m not looking forward to school today. I clean myself up and wrap my favorite red scarf around my neck to gain some confidence for the day ahead. Closing my eyes, I inhale the fresh scent of laundry from my scarf, while slipping on the gloves that Kenny gave to me at the amusement park. They are cute finger gloves with flowers decorating the rim. I'm excited about what he may say when he sees them. The rest of my outfit is in all black which felt fitting, considering I’m basically heading to an early grave at school.

 _’Just kidding_.’

I pack up my lunch and Kenny’s, before my mind wanders over to Kyle. As if he read my mind, I receive a text from him. 

Kyle: Morning. Sorry, can’t pick you up today. We slept over at a friend’s house.

Y/N: Good morning. I understand, see you at school!

While waiting for the bus, I don’t see any of my friends so I assume they have a ride for school. On the bus, I’m met with curious stares and hushed whispers, but I pretend not to notice as I grip my arm crutch to pass by. Butters is sitting in the back, looking out the window, lost in thought. I slide up to him, poking his cheek.

“Y/N.” He smiles when he sees it’s me.

“BunBun.” I smile, leaning towards him as he looks out the window again. “Did something happen?”

“My dad grounded me all weekend,” he sighs. “Are you okay?” He glances down to my ankle.

“That’s why I couldn’t reach you...I’m sorry.” I pout, feeling resentment towards his parents. “I’m doing as okay as I can be,” I quietly chuckle, “too much has happened, I'm so overwhelmed!”

“I know,” Butter blankly replies. “The guys talked about it in the guys chat. Sorry you had to go through that. How’s your ankle?”

“It’ll be fine in about two weeks,” I inform him, holding up a peace sign for two. Butters nods with a smile, but he appears distracted by something on his mind. “Are you okay yourself?”

“Not sure. I think I just want to be alone for a while. I hope you don’t mind.” He says to me with a nervous smile. “Please, don’t take it the wrong way.”

“I understand, take as much time as you need. You do you, BunBun.” I reassure him with a smile.

“Thanks Buddy.” He leans back in his seat, closing his eyes. He appears exhausted and I want to ask why, but I’ll give him space. We sit in silence for the rest of the ride to school, and when we arrive, we split off in different directions. Heading straight to PC Principal’s office, I ignore the gossiping and unwanted attention my presence brings through the hallways. I walk past the front desk in the office, not bothering to ask before knocking on the Principal's door. He welcomes the guest in, not too surprised to see me, and we get straight to business.

After the productive meeting, I carry myself to class, barely making it on time. I smile when I see my friends already seated and take a seat across class, since it’s the only one available. They usually make sure I’m seated near them, but today, it looks like they didn’t bother. Secretly pulling out my phone, I discreetly send messages through group chat, letting everyone know what I chatted about with the principal.

**Group Chat**

**Y/N_chan:** Morning guys! PC Principal and I came to an agreement.

I have detention until I can prove my "innocence” and for skipping school on Friday.

I need to make up my project too so I’ll be busy after school all week.

The teacher won’t be happy to see me in class tomorrow, but he said she won’t discuss it with me until the situation reaches a resolution, so at least it won’t be too awkward.

But I still have to see Wen-ugh I don't even want to say her name.

I’ll barely have time to hang out after school with you, guys, _sob._

I see them, glancing at their phones when the teacher isn’t looking.

**Tokn** : That sucks, but that's the best arrangement we could ask for atm.

 **Craigbot** : Could be worse.

 **Kyte** : You should work on it during lunch so that you can finish it faster like last week.

 **Sweetweek :** Good idea,Kyle! Good luck on your project Y/N.

 **Craigbot** : Don’t slack.

 **Clydelicious** : We’ll leave you alone so you can finish it. You need to focus.

I thought they would be disappointed about me, not being able to spend time with them, but I'm the only one who’s disappointed.

**Y/N_chan :** I don’t have to skip lunch, and you guys don’t have to leave me alone. I can work on the it at home.

 **Coonman** : Just work in it, we have stuff to do.

 **JimJams** : We’re busy so it’ll be good for us too.

 **Y/n_chan :** Why? What kind of stuff?

 **Coonman** : Guy stuff.

we don’t revolve around you so stop being so self centered. Gawd.

 **Y/n_chan :** I was just curious, geez.

Fine. I need all the time I can get for it, since it’s a two person job anyways.

I’ll give you your lunch before you leave, Ken Ken.

 **Secksi_Ken:** Thanks.

I slowly turn my head at them to observe them. Butters didn't bother responding, but he read the messages. Even from across the room, I can see that they are acting strange. Class goes by smoothly for the teacher, especially since they are all unusually quiet today, compared to their usual distracting rambunctious selves. Our classmates would have noticed too, if they weren't busy paying me so much attention. They keep running their mouths about the dumb rumors. Usually, my friends are quick to fight anyone, but they seem not too care.

_“Poor girls...”_

_“Poor Wendy...”_

_“Fake..."_

These are the gist of what I overhear from my schoolmates, but I pretend not to hear them. When it’s break time in between classes, I decide to stroll over to the guys to gauge their moods, but they run off before I can bother them. They only return when class begins. Unfortunately, I don’t get a chance to talk to them, not even when the bell rings for lunch time, since they rush out the door leaving me behind, except for Kenny who waits for me to hand him his lunch. He muffles his thanks, without noticing the gloves I'm wearing. I wanted to ask what’s going on, but I can’t exactly catch up to them with my crutch. I leave to work in the library after I eat my lunch at my desk. At least, I can ignore others while I’m working, and no one will harass me.

When class starts again, the boys sit away from me, despite there being empty seats next to me. My conclusion is that they must still be upset at me. They seem distant, irritable, and hardly look at me during class. They aren't being mean, but they aren't acting like their themselves either, and it's unsettling.

After school I go to the designated classroom with Mr. Mackey for detention. He doesn’t pay attention to us and just reads a book while drinking coffee. I would kill for some of that coffee. There’s several others scattered around and they intimidate me with their unfriendly gaze, making me shrink into my seat.

_’Is this what Craig has to do once in a while? Detention sucks.’_

This is going to be a long and miserable week. When I get home, I work on my project more before noticing a light drizzle outside. At least, it’s not storming this time. I recall Tweek's warm hands while staring at my hand. 

_‘Would he come by my side if I reach out to him again?’_

I feel ashamed for wanting to test him like that, but everyone is making me feel insecure.

* * *

The next day, Kyle picks me up, but he seems agitated like he didn't get enough sleep. We barely talks, even when we see Cartman and Kenny at the bus stop. Butters chooses not to acknowledge any of us, since he needs his space. I have a sick feeling swirling in the pit of my stomach, but I choose not to confront it. Token, Jimmy, Craig, Tweek, and Clyde stays quiet when I sit next to them,and gives short responses when I attempt to make conversation. Everything feels awkward and I brush it off to them being tired, since they have bags under their eyes and look to be nodding off during class.

There's nothing I dread more right now than seeing my teacher and Wendy for my next class. Wendy gives an exaggerated act of being a victim, when I enter class with my crutch, and the teacher doesn't hide her menacing side eye. At least, they aren’t talking to me. I sit in the corner to the very back, hoping to not draw too much attention to myself. To my surprise, Dovahkiin casually sits next to me, slugging his backpack onto his desk. I see the Goths and I run up to Henrietta to return the coat she lent me.

"Thank you. I washed it." I tell her with lips curving upward, revealing my teeth.

"You're welcome." She gracefully accepts it like the Goth Queen she is. Pete flips his hair while checking out my ankle. Michael gives me a lazy smile. I scamper away when my classmates begin to murmur about the Goths for talking to me. I don't want to draw attention to them, just for associating with me, so I don't make conversation even if I want to. I text Dohvahkiin during class.

Me: Thanks for sitting next to me. You probably shouldn't or the others will gossip about you too.

Dohvahkiin: Let them. I don't care.

How are you holding up?

Me: Besides everyone treating me like I'm a criminal, I'm still kicking.

I just have to suffer through detention and redo my project.

I don't even have time to prove my innocence.

Dohvahkiin: That's rough. You're strong.

Me: I wish.

I glance at Dohvahkiin. To be honest, he's really good looking. He changes his style often. He doesn't verbally talk to anyone, so it makes it hard for the girls to get close to him, but sometimes, I catch their eyes lingering on him. He's mysterious and I begin to wonder more about him. I snap out of my thoughts when he gives me a curious look. He probably senses my fangirl gaze.

_’I promise I wasn't having sinful thoughts, Dohvahkiin. I’m just admiring you.’_

Dohvahkiin: Take a picture, it will last longer :P

Me: Can I?

Dohvahkiin: Why are you like this?

Me: [ _A candid pic of him from a few secs ago_ ]

I hear a light chuckle next to me and I almost gasp out loud. 

_‘Did...did he just laugh out loud.’_

I seem to be the only one who heard it, because I'm looking around me, hoping to see any fellow spectators at this rare happening. For a second, I heard his voice.

Me: I heard your cute laugh! Plz do it more!

Dohvahkiin: Try being funny and I might.

Me: Ouch!

My nonverbal communication with Dohvahkiin, is the brightest thing I have experienced since yesterday.

Me: What kind of things do you like and dislike?

Dohvahkiin: Why do you ask?

Me: Because we are friends!

Dohvahkiin: I guess I like girls, like you, who are interested in my likes and dislikes.

I blush when I read the messages, ignoring his smirk from the edge of my eye.

Me: That's not what I meant!

Dohvahkiin: You asked :P

I like when someone wants to hear what I have to say, instead of talking over me, or telling me what to do all the time.

Me: I like that too.

Dohvahkiin: Right now, I'm really disliking all this bullcrap you're putting up with.

I can poison them with gas. Should I fart on them?

Me: LMAO you didn't just say that.

Dohvahkiin: But not on the balls. It's the number one rule.

I muffle my laugh from his randomness.

Me: Give me a ride! I want to go back to the amusement park.

Dohvahkiin: I can take you there whenever you want.

Me: OMG you’re the best!

Dohvahkiin: Now you know, took you long enough :P

Silly messages between Dohvahkiin and I, keep the dark thoughts submerged from my mind, for a while. During class, I catch Bebe and my lost angels, Red and Heidi, glancing at me. They look like they want to say something ,but that's not possible. Cartman is right, it's like I think things revolve around me, and they don't. Everyone has their problems. I'm not special.

* * *

Wednesday comes around and I still haven't heard any word from Stan. I hope he's doing okay. He must be upset about what happened between Wendy and I. He's coming tomorrow when we’ll be at school. I don't mind ditching, but I can't ditch three weeks in a row, or I’ll feel guilty. School is uneventful, and every time I try to talk to the guys, they’re are unavailable. They’re either sleeping in class, or run out the door before I can physically catch them. Curse this ankle of mine.

When I get out of detention for the day, the snowflakes are already falling. There's barely anyone outside at this time as I leave a trail with my crutch and feet. I decide to take a small detour to Stark's Pond when I'm off the bus. The swaying snowflakes drifts to the ground, and I catch it with my hand, while still wearing the gift that Kenny still hasn’t remarked on. The serene pond looks like it's collecting ice, and I open my palm to see the snowflake has melted. Pulling out my phone, I type up the questions in group chat, that I have been too scared to ask.

_‘Why are you guys ignoring me? Do you want me to apologize for seeing Wendy by myself on Friday? Are you guys mad or tired of me?’_

My heart drops, seeing my feelings put into physical words and I delete the messages before sending them.If they want to tell me something, I would prefer they do it in person.

_’But do I want to know?’_

Hopefully, they’ll talk to me tomorrow, including Stan who has gone missing in action. I miss all of them. I limp over to the pond, dropping to my knees, and watching the snowflakes fall onto the surface of the water. They probably got tired of dealing with me, my drama, and all the negativity I attract around me. I admit, I feel nothing but gloomy emotions right now.

Teardrops from my eyes fall onto my gloves.

_‘Don’t leave me. I can fix this. I will fix this.’_

I wipe my tears with my sleeve, lightly sobbing into my jacket.

_’I miss them.’_

I'm glad no one else is here, it would be a pain holding my feelings in, like I have been doing since Monday.

“What are you doing? Are you stupid?” An unfamiliar male voice speaks to me from behind. I turn my head, pushing my arm away from my face.

“Who are you?” I say to the mysterious teen boy who somehow looks familiar.

“The name is Damien.” His spiky black hair and unique colored eyes sparks a certain memory. The lights illuminating around us from the amusement park. Similar to that time, his ruby eyes glow, despite there being no lights to play tricks on it unlike before.

_’Is he wearing red contacts?’_

A shiver from the cold breaks me from my wallowing.

“I’m Y/N.” I cautiously tell him, and he stands there with hands in his pockets.

“I didn’t ask.” His sharp gaze pierces into me as the snow gently drifts around us.

“Why did you call me stupid?” I speak up, peering at the stranger, unsure what to make by his sudden presence.

“You’re sitting on the snow crying, while snow is piling on your head. That’s not stupid to you?” He tilts his head, curiously. His features with his thick eyebrows makes him look mad, but his tone says otherwise. He must suffer from a resting bitch face.

“You don’t know me. That’s rude,” I sniff, brushing the snow off my head.

“Why are you crying?” He questions me, ignoring my previous statements.

“Why do you ask?” I huff in annoyance.

“To confirm whether it’s worth crying over or not.” His serious expression tells me he genuinely wants to know.

“Look, I'm sorry, but I’m not in a good mood. Can you not talk to me right now?” I turn away from him.

“No. You’re crying out in public, I can do and say whatever I want.” He responds, taking a step closer.

I sigh in frustration and rotate to him. “Did you, by any chance, happen to go to the amusement park, last Friday? I think I saw you.”

“Yes. You saw me? I don’t remember seeing you." He shrugs while casually insulting me. "I guess you’re forgettable.”

“Rude...” I grumble, not knowing what to expect from him. “I just happen to remember by chance, it doesn’t mean anything.”

“If you say so. Did you fall in love at first sight or something?”

“No.” I lift an eyebrow at him, gaping my mouth for him even insinuating I might have.

“I'm joking. I don’t believe in love at first sight, maybe lust at first sight."

“Well, you’re in luck. I have experienced neither.” 

“Keep telling yourself that. The way you looked at me at the amusement park says otherwise.” He smirks at me. I can almost make out a light fang from his teeth. If he wasn't giving me an attitude this whole time, I would be appreciating the cuteness of it.

“Hey! You do remember!” I point at him, accusingly. He brushes his fang with his tongue in a teasing manner.

“So, why were you still crying?”

I widen my eyes, touching my cheeks to confirm.

_’I'm still crying? Why?’_

My gloves soak up the running water on my cheeks. “I-I didn’t know I was crying, gosh.” I turn away, furiously wiping my face. Maybe, I miss talking to my friends like this, where we usually joke around and roast one another. "Sorry." He must feel uncomfortable by this odd situation.

“Why are you sorry?" He continues interrogating me without budging.

“I don’t know you, and I’m crying for no reason. It's embarrassing, since we just met."

“There’s always a reason." His deep voice reaches my ears and I raise my head to look at him. "There’s no such thing as crying for no reason.”

“You don’t know about hormones then,” I chuckle at him, "and I'm the stupid one?"

“You're the one who doesn't know why you're crying." He objects, pulling his hands out of his pockets.

“Whatever.” I shrug, changing the subject. "What school do you go to? I’ve never seen you around South Park High."

“Right now? None. I don’t need to attend when I just take the tests."

“I see. That’s a sweet deal, you must have it nice."

“Compared to you, maybe. I'm not throwing myself a pity party by a pond while it's snowing, looking defenseless with a crutch and bandaged ankle." He playfully teases.

"Dude...does being an asshole get you all the ladies? Because you must be dripping in pussy." I sass him, grateful from the experience I gained from listening to the boys.

"So much of it that it's disgusting. Lucky for you, I'm single."

"Unlucky for you. You might be attractive, but I don't go for bad boys."

"And I only go for smarts, but that doesn't mean we're not compatible." He smirks at me.

"Meh!" I roll my eyes. Somehow, it's feels natural talking to him.

"I'll get going before your stupidity infects me, and I start wailing next to a random pond." He lifts his hand, signaling a goodbye.

“See you later, Damien!” I pipe up as he turns.

“You want to see me later?” He twists his neck towards me.

“It’s just an expression, but I don't mind, you’re not a total jerk. You came to talk to me because you were worried, right?"

“I guess you're not a total dumbass. We'll meet again." His ruby eyes locks onto to mines, before he walks away. I stare at the pond once more before going home.

* * *

I awaken, almost jumping out of bed, before remembering my sprain. Today is the day Stan comes back. I send him a congratulations text, feeling chipper despite his lack of communication this week. The guys greet me when they see me, but I barely feel any excitement rolling off of them at the reminder that Stan is returning. They're calm, unlike me who can't help but smile, despite their behavior. Everyone will be together again. My parents will be back tonight too, so now they can pick me up from school or drop me off. I can stop buffing up my arm with the crutch.

I smile happily, not paying attention to my surroundings. That red eye boy from yesterday was kind of cute. I wonder when we will see each other again. South Park has all the hotties _._ When I try to bring up any celebration ideas about Stan, the guys reject me, saying that they’re too busy too think about that right now.

_‘Too busy for Stan or too busy for me?’_

I try not to let them get to me. They aren't trying to be malicious, but I feel disappointed.

Next class, I have the displeasure of having to see Wendy. Dohvahkiin sits next to me again, noticing my frown, as Wendy sends me a conceited smile. She taunts me using the echoes of those around her.

"I love this class, but there's one too many people here." She whines out loud, making the others nearby her agree.

"Totally,” says one of her many admirers. Bebe used to always join her in her insults, but lately she hasn't. She doesn't defend me, but she doesn't fuel the flame either. Red and Heidi stay silent, as the others sympathize with Wendy's plight at having to share a class with her bully, while praising her for her strength.

"Don't worry about her. Everyone knows what she did so she can't do anything anymore." A classmate sneers at me.

"We'll protect you, Wendy." A teen boy reassures her with love struck eyes.

"Whoever it is, they're just an ugly Bitch, inside and out." Insists some random person, trying to provoke a reaction out of me.

"If only bullies just killed themselves." Wendy innocently sings, making them laugh.

"Sigh...is this classroom full of babies, I only hear babbling." Pete interrupts them, flipping his hair out of his eye.

"No way." Michael responds, scratching his ear with his earring. "I thought there were bees in here because of the constant annoying buzz, but it's just a bunch of posers yapping."

"You're both wrong. It's just conformists eating and throwing up each other's shit. Not my kink, but whatever floats their boat." Henrietta clicks her black nails together without batting an eye.Wendy's face turns red with anger, and before, she can bicker at them, the brainwashed teacher walks in. I open a book, hiding my face, because I can feel my tears well up from their unexpected defense for me. Dohvahkiin grins when I slightly turn to smile at him, happy to have both, him and the Goths, in this class.

I spend all lunch finishing up my project, now I can turn this in to the principal later. Things are looking up. I smile, while doodling my friends in my notebook, during class. They may not have talked to me yet, about whatever it is that's going on with them, but Stan is back. Detention is suffering, while I watch the clock ticking painfully slow, so that I can speed over to Stan's house, as soon as possible. I'm sure everyone is already there and having fun. I haven't been able to hang out with them since walking takes forever with my injury, on top of the school project, and detention. Zero fun all week, until today.

I get on the bus heading home, gazing out the window. Unfortunately, I see something that instantly flips my stomach upside down. A familiar blue hat with a red poof ball and a purple beret make their way into my vision. As the bus passes by, I see Stan and Wendy standing in front of each other and talking by the side of the road. It looks like Stan borrowed his dad's car to see her.

_’Why are they together? Why did he see her the first day he is back? Why hasn’t he reached out to me?’_

My mind races and I feel like I'm going to barf, shutting my eyes to stop the nausea and confusion. 

* * *

_Butters, Clyde, Craig, Tweek, Kyle, Stan, Cartman, and Kenny stand before me, but I can't see their faces. I try to speak to them, but my voice won't come out. My silent lips trembles, as they walk towards Wendy in the distance whose sickeningly sweet smile is all I can make out. She mocks me with a condescending smirk and malicious laughter. Token, Jimmy, Nichole, Karen, Dovahkiin, Scott and other figures walk by me from my sides, not turning to look spare me a passing glance or respond to me, as I cry out to them. They join the rest of our friends turning their backs to me. I try to run after them and reach out to them, but they keep getting further and further away. I scream, but no sound reaches my ears, only her cackling and the sound of my beating heart._

I reach out my arm, waking up from my nightmare in cold sweat. After I saw Stan with Wendy yesterday, I moved on pilot mode when I got home. The dinner with my parents went by in a daze, and I wasn't able to taste the delicious looking food presented to me. They tell me they want to drive me to school tomorrow, which I quietly agree. After texting Kyle that I have a ride tomorrow, I turned off my phone and laid in bed for hours, until I fell asleep.

Now I'm here, with a streak of tears drenching my pillow, as I stare at the ceiling feeling nothing, but loneliness and confusion.

_’Who do I reach out to when my friends won't talk to me?’_

I weakly creep downstairs to my backyard to look up the sparkling night sky in the chilly weather. My pajamas sticking to my skin as I gaze at the faraway stars. I reach my arm, trying to catch the glimmering lights, but as always, I can't touch them.

* * *

My parents drop me off in front of the school, and I make my way through the school doors. As I make my way to my locker, someone trips me making me cry out from my hurt ankle.

“What the fuck?” Someone shouts as another person helps me to my feet. The person who yelled is Scott, and the one who picks me up, by my arms, is Dovahkiin. Dovahkiin brushes my knees, glaring at the girls who tripped me. “How can you do that to Y/N? She’s hurt!” Scott stands in front of me, roaring at the girls.

”W-we were just checking if she was faking it.” A girl stammers out, looking away.

”We heard she’s just trying to get everyone to feel sorry for her. She deserves it anyways.” One of Wendy’s many admirers defends. I recognize most of them, since they harassed me even before the accusations, like a hivemind. Dovahkiin still grips me as he sends them daggers with his eyes.

“Dovahkiin?” I say to the boy who snaps out of his glare, releasing me. He looks at me with worry and I give him my thanks.

“Whatever.” The girls rush off, leaving a fuming Scott.

”The nerve..." he turns to me, apologetically. "I can’t believe them. Jesus, are you okay?” He runs a hand through his brown curls.

I nod, “thanks. That was nothing.”

”It wasn’t nothing.” He counters. “I was waiting for you, since I was asked me to bring you to the office. They’re having a meeting. We have to go right now.” I look at him, feeling a familiar wave of fear, and Dovahkiin silently accompanies us, as we head to the office. We enter where many people greet us. PC Principal, my teacher, Mr. Mackey, the three victims, Wendy, Team Stan _with_ Stan, and all of Team Craig. The atmosphere in the room is mixed with confusion from all the girls, especially me.

”What’s going on here?” Wendy asks the Principal, crossing her arms.

”We can explain now that everyone is here.” PC principal calmly says, sliding his hands under his armpits. “Do you, boys, want to share what you shared with me?” We all turn our attentions to Stan, Kyle, Kenny, Cartman, Jimmy, Token, Craig, Clyde, and Tweek, who give a nod to the principal.

Kyle clears his throat, “Y/N never bullied Wendy, she didn’t attack these three girls, and she did work on her half of the project.” He bluntly states.

”This is ridiculous,” my teacher steps in to interrupt. PC Principal puts his hand up to stop her, and nods for them to continue.

”All week, we have been gathering evidence without rest, and all of them, point to her innocence.” Kyle presents with the profession demeanor of a lawyer. He most likely learned from his dad. “Scott, Dovahkiin, some girls, and the Goths helped us too.” I gawk at them with my mouth agape, as Wendy gasps incredulously.

”They what?” She practically shouts, making PC Principal signal for her to silence as well.

“GAH! We asked almost everyone around s-school, and not one, ACK person has ever seen Y/N GEH bully anyone! Ah! Too much pressure!” Tweek twitches, stepping back after saying what he wanted.

”Y/N doesn’t have the time to bully. She literally clings to only us.” Craig asserts, making me blush from the fact. “She doesn’t know those three girls, and has never been seen approaching them, during school, ever. She’s too busy fangirling over us, because we’re her best friends. She won't leave our side, unless we convince her to.” I blush even more.

_‘Can he not expose me like this?’_

“We asked the skanks-“

“Eric Cartman.” PC Principal warns him.

”We asked those three female student-“

“More like threatened to kill us.” One of the girls whimpers, cowering from them.

”Ahem. We interrogated them to confess the truth.” Cartman expresses with his hands. “We have a video here that shows that Y/N wasn't a bully, but was in fact, the one being bullied.” Cartman presses a button, showing on the monitor on the wall, the gross video of me being pushed to the ground and kicked on the head. “The voices of those three girls are in this video. This is a raw and unedited film that ‘ _broken phone girl’_ over there recorded. The bitch-

“Cartman.”

”The female, with the broken leg, was the one who kicked her, and the sprained wrists chick, is the one who pushed her. They confessed that they do not know the identity of their true assailant, and instead, pinned the blame on the girl they bullied.” Cartman crosses his arms in contempt.

”Can you verify that this is the truth, girls?” PC Principal lifts his eyebrows behind his sunglasses. 

_‘Why does he wear those indoors? I do not know but it’s effectively cool.’_

The three girls nod, together, on the verge of tears. The broken leg girl forces her head's magnetism from the ground to make eye contact at all of us.

”We only did it because Wendy threatened us!” She points to Wendy, while too afraid to look at her. Wendy’s eye flinches, but she immediately switches to maintain a concerned expression of innocence.

”M-me?” Wendy points to herself in shock.

”Yes, it’s all because of her.” The sprained wrist girl snivels into a tissue that Mr. Mackey passed to them.

”She said that if we didn’t blame Y/N, then she would ruin us on social media.” The broken phone girl, confesses not raising her head. “It’s social suicide to go up against her!” She practically screams to everyone. “Sorry Wendy...sorry...” she dramatically drops to the floor, apologizing to Wendy.

”I would never! It’s Y/N!" Wendy screeches, "she put them up to this! She's making them lie! I’m the innocent one!”

“No, you’re the one who blackmailed those girls.” Stan declares, making her and my eyes pop out.

”S-Stan, what do you mean? Why are you doing this?” She asks, confused by his betrayal to her.

”Y/N is the kindest girl I know.” He glimpse at me, before snapping at Wendy. “You should have never hurt her, I will never forgive you for as long as I live. She’s my bestest girlfrien- best girl, who is my friend, I ever had.” He corrects himself without stopping. Kenny pulls down his hoodie to effectively glare at her, and ruffles his blond hair.

”We have witnesses. Come in.” Stan snaps his fingers, as the door behind me opens up.

_’How long were they outside?’_

Red, Heidi, and Gary walk through the door, making Wendy lose her composure, but when Bebe walks through the door, she almost foams at the mouth in disbelief.

Cartman speaks up, “Gary, can you tell us what you have seen Y/N doing? As a Mormon and a goody two shoes, we all know you refuse to lie, and is probably the most trustworthy student in our whole grade, even if Stan doesn't like you." He mumbles the last part, making Stan shoot a glare at the no filter teen. Gary straightens up his collar, and glances at me before speaking.

“I had the pleasure of meeting Y/N last week. We bumped into each other, and I was instantly taken by her pleasant personality. She’s beautiful, considerate, smar-

“On with it Mormon kid!" Cartman barks while impatiently tapping his foot. "We’re not asking you to confess to her!” I send Cartman a small frown, making him stop his tapping midair.

“But I digress...” Gary's cheeks tinge with pink, and I almost swoon out loud at his adorableness. “Y/N has been diligently working on her project everyday, last week. I frequently monitor the computer lab for extra credit, and some of those days, I noticed she was working nonstop. She didn’t even notice me, because she was so focused on her work. I was worried since she never stopped, not even to eat.” I spy Kenny frowning from his statement. I remember the white lie I told him about eating, and I feel the tinge of guilt. “Wendy, on the other hand, had friends sneaking her in food, despite the ‘no eating’ sign placed throughout the lab.” He frowns in disappointment. Our teacher shakes her head, refusing to believe the truth unfolding before her. Denial is strong with brainwashed folks.

“Thanks Gary,” Clyde voices, “these close friends of Wendy’s have something to say as well. Right?” He raises his eyebrows suspiciously at Bebe, unsure if she is really willing to admit anything. "Well, ladies?"

“Wendy is our friend.” Heidi prefaces, “we love her no matter what, but we can’t support everything she does. Y/N is a sweet girl.”

“We’ve always wanted to be her friend, but chose not to, out of respect for Wendy.” Red peeps at me. My heart pounds hard with both, my emotions and my brain, not keeping up with each other. I'm speechless, while barely keeping up to process everything my friends are revealing, one by one. It’s like I’m here, but not really. I assume it's like having an out of body experience. “Wendy, please tell the truth. We don’t want you to keep doing this. This isn’t who you are.”

_‘My angels...I can’t believe they are defending me, is this heaven?’_

Wendy purses her lips, but her thoughts remain ambiguous.

“Wendy has been planning to throw Y/N under the bus, since the moment, the project was announced.” Bebe looks straight at the Principal.

“What are you doing?” Wendy hisses lowly at her.

“She saved my cat’s life...I’m returning the favor." Bebe gestures towards me. "Sorry Wendy. I love you, but you have been losing yourself as time passes by. You need to stop, I have said that over and over. I'm not leaving you or betraying you.”

“What do you think you are doing now?” Wendy shrills to the curly Blond.

“I’m trying to help you become yourself again. You changed.” Bebe’s eyes urges her. Wendy looks as if Bebe just slapped her in the face, and stabbed her in the back, not caring about Bebe’s good intentions.

“ _I_ changed? You’re the one who gave me the idea to wreck Y/N’s reputation!” Wendy exposes her.

“I didn’t think you would do _this_.” Bebe defends herself. “I’m all talk, no bite. You know that.”

“Enough catfighting.” Cartman brings the attention back to him.

“Yesterday, I confronted Wendy.” Stan clenches his fists. “I really wanted her to give her a chance to confess on her own, but she refused. She’s done so much to Y/N, that she needs to apologize for.”

_‘So that’s why I saw him talking to her? Everything was for my sake?’_

All my friends worked so hard. It’s like I’m dreaming, I can’t believe what is happening.

“I’ll never forgive you, Wendy,” Stan stands his ground with full conviction.

“Dovahkiin, Nichole, and Scott worked with us to take down malicious throwaway accounts, that we believe to belong to Wendy Testaburger, herself.” Token tells the room. “She used her expert social media skills to bully Y/N, and used multiple phone numbers and emails, so identifying her was difficult but not impossible. We gathered it here.” He pulls out a paper that lists phone numbers and emails.

“Y/N, do you by any chance, have any text messages, emails, or voicemails you can share, from Wendy?” KyIe asks and I pull out my phone, showing them recent texts from Wendy. It matched one of the numbers from the list.

“Boo yah.” Clyde boasts.

“In conclusion, Y/N is i-i-i-i-innocent.” Jimmy says. “I’m going to release a summarized version of the truth to stop the r-r-rumors in the school n-newspaper for Y/N’s sake.” PC Principal nods to him.

“Wendy, what do you have to say for yourself?” PC Principal inquires, almost involuntarily flexing from the tension. Wendy remains silent with a unreadable expression.

“It’s true...” she mumbles and begins to cry. Judging by the reactions of the teens, nons of us buy her supposed tears, except for the adults.

“Why did you do it?” Our teacher asks weakly, no longer able to turn a blind eye to the truth.

“I don't know. I was jealous of her and stressed from all my school work. What if she became your new favorite student? She's new, so I just wanted to vent out on her, for a little while. I clearly took it too far and I’m not in the right state of mind.” Tears rolls down her cheeks as she makes excuses to the adults. "I need help! Will you help me?" The teacher cries along with Wendy, comforting her pitiful star student.

“You are the best student I have ever had the pleasure of teaching. I could never replace you.” She insists to a wailing Wendy. "We'll help you!"

“You may be remorseful, but you still lied Wendy, Lying is a no, no. M’kay?” Mr. Mackey proclaims. “How should we discipline her PC Principal?”

“I’m considering expulsion because her problematic actions and behavior are unacceptable. She poses a threat to the well being of my students at this school. Y/N, what would you like for us to do? You are the victim here.” PC Principal responds as a look of panic flashes from Wendy's eyes.

“Please don’t be too hard on her,” the teacher beseeches on her behalf. Wendy begins to cry uncontrollably, sobbing for forgiveness.

”As long as I don’t have to see her in class anymore...” I tell him. "I don't feel safe when she's around."

“Wendy,” PC Principal makes up his mind, “you caused a lot of problems for Y/N and all of us. You're lucky, she's merciful or you would face expulsion. We can't have someone, like you, on the student council anymore. You will be receiving two months of detention and one week suspension. You will write an apology letter to Y/N and have your schedule changed to accommodate her. You will need to attend counseling with Mr. Mackey, two times a week for the _help_ you seek. As for the three of you,” he changes his focus on the three who cried wolf, “one month detention. Sounds fair?” They nod accepting their lenient fate.

“Two months? Suspension?” Wendy yells ungratefully. "That will look bad on my college applications next year!" She cries into her hands.

“Y/N, you are relinquished from any punishments.” PC Principal softens his voice to me.

“Um...I already finished my project redo.” I raise my hand.

“Then, you can be free from any homework assignments for the rest of semester.” The Principal suggests “What do you say?” The teacher looks at me with a mixture of embarrassment and guilt.

"Turn in the project to me, and as long as you don’t slack off in class, you won't have to do any homework or classwork adding up to the points of the project.” She compromises.

“I won’t.”

"I'm sorry Y/N." Wendy lifts her face away from her hands. She has a satisfied smirk that only goes unnoticed by the adults. She didn't face any real harsh punishments and we know it. She doesn't look remorseful at all, only sorry that she got caught. I don't care, since all I wanted was to have my name cleared, and I got that. This is the best outcome I could have asked for since I never received any justice back at my old school. This is the first time anyone has defended me and where the perpetrators got punished.

"We're sorry for hurting you in any way." PC Principal takes off his sunglasses to look me sincerely in the eyes.

"I'm very sorry Miss Y/N, M'kay" Mr. Mackey wipes a tear with a tissue. I solemnly stare back at them.

“Can I be excused?”

PC Principal and Mr. Mackey nod with apologetic looks. When I open the doors, I catch Butters leaning with his back against the wall while eavesdropping. He turns his head to me, gives me a light smile, and I feel my eyes well up. Without uttering a single word, I leave with my crutch down the hallways and out of the school, leaving everyone behind. I’m not sure where I’m going, I just want to clear my mind, away from school and away everything.

"Y/N!" Stan catches up to me, almost stumbling over snow. He rushes to hug me, knocking my crutch to the ground.

"Why didn't you talk to me?" I plainly ask him. He rubs his face into my shoulders.

"I almost lost my mind when I heard what happened with Wendy. I knew if I talked to you or heard your voice over the phone, I wouldn't be able to hold myself back. I would have come running to South Park, as soon as I could, to be by your side, but you would get upset."

"I missed you," I hug him back, accepting his answer. "Welcome back." Stan pulls away, brushing hair away from my face. 

"Ay!" Cartman shouts, interrupting him, walking after us.

"Get away from Y/N!" Clyde runs up to us, waving his arms into the air.

"Nah!" Stan pulls me back to him. I can't exactly limp away from his tight hold. Clyde pouts and tries to separate him from me. Craig, Tweek, Kenny, and Kyle catch up to us as well with Butters trailing behind. Craig's blank expression changes to annoyance at Stan. "What?" Stan lifts his eyebrow.

“Give her to me.” Craig sticks his hand out, waving for me to come to him.

“Yeah right. You guys had her for two weeks!” Stan grumbles and pets my hair. 

_‘Am I a pet?’_

”ACK! Not really! W-we haven’t been s-sleeping because AH we’ve been gathering GYAH evidence for Y/N and p-patrolling, you know that! ” Tweek shouts with his eyes closed and fists clenched. 

_‘What?’_

”I can finally relax and enjoy some time with my Princess.” Kenny folds his arms with a smile. “Don’t hog her.” He warns Stan and drops his smile.

”We should go back to school guys, school isn’t over yet.” Kyle advises, trying to bring us back.

“Not until I get my share of Y/N!” Clyde pouts, “I missed her! I bet she missed us! Right Y/N?” I peek at him and to everyone else from within Stan’s arms.

I turn my head from them. ”Hmph!” 

”Y-Y/N?” Clyde cries out.

”I’m mad at all of you.” I say, without looking at them.

“You heard her!” Stan backs me up, despite not knowing what’s going on. He’s just happy to have me to himself.

”GYAH Y-Y/N?” Tweek shouts in confusion.

“You’re all dummies. Every single one of you are inconsiderate idiots, jerks, dumbasses, fools,...even you, Stan.” I pull away from him, making him gasp.

“What did we do?” Kyle almost shouts as Tweek makes worried noises.

”Was it when we threatened the three sluts?" Cartman folds his arm in defense. "We just scared the shit out of them and interrogated them in a locked room. We didn’t torture them or anything."

”Y/N, tell us.” Craig urges me with concern.

“You guys have been distant all week." I choke out. "I thought you guys were mad at me because of Friday, or finally grew tired of me because of all my problems. You all kept ignoring me and making me feel unwanted.” My eyes moisten and Clyde tears up in response.

” **No**!” They all shout, including Butters and Stan.

"It's our fault everything happened to you." Butter speaks up, rubbing his knuckles together.

"We were trying to keep you safe." Clyde clarifies.

"To keep me safe?"

"Every night we patrolled near your home. At least, when you were in detention or working on your project, we knew where you were and that you were safe." Kenny speaks without his usual boyish smile. His serious eyes told me they aren't lying. "Those fuckheads from North Park High wanted revenge for what happened to their buddies."

"Even Wendy's shitty boyfriend came one night." Kyle spits.

"We beat the shit out of him,” Craig steps closer. "We've been fucking up anyone who tries to hurt you."

"Even Butters," Clyde tells me, making me widen my eyes at Butters who doesn't deny it. 

_‘Little Bunbun?’_

_"_ He's been going solo and not working with us." Kenny grunts towards him in annoyance.

"It's been SO MUCH PRESSURE! We d-didn't want to tell you and worry y-you." Tweek explains while repeatedly flinching.

"We didn't know if anyone else was targeting you so we tried to keep you away from us." Kyle rubs his head. "We didn't realize it would hurt you." They all look to me and apologize, except for Cartman.

"It's not my fault you misunderstood," Cartman grumbles, looking away, “we did what we had to do to protect you, especially since you're too stubborn to ask us for help." 

"You could have told me." I raise my voice.

"You would only worry." Craig tells me. "Maybe we were being a little spiteful since you didn't tell us either."

"We weren't being mature about it." Kyle frowns, along with Kenny.

"I'm sorry too." I wipe my wet eyes. "At first, I didn't think I did anything wrong, but I would hate if you, guys, didn't tell me if you were in trouble. It's not an excuse, but I'm not used to relying on someone. No one has ever helped me before, so I always did everything by myself. I'm sorry for hurting everyone for my dumb mistake." They smile at me and I hesitantly smile back at them.

"When you need us, we'll be here to help you." Stan tells me, patting my head.

"Thank you." I tearfully smile at all of them. "Thank you so much." 

_‘My boys.’_

‘Thank you’ doesn't express everything I feel towards them. My gratitude, my relief, my happiness, my aching, and my place to belong, is all thanks to them. They are the bestest friends I have ever had.

_‘How does one express that?’_

"I love you, guys." I smile bashfully, hoping my feelings get properly delivered. They all stiffen at my unexpected words, growing bright red in the face. I turn my smile to Stan who suddenly looks sick. We barely have time to react as he fails to cover his mouth, and barfs all over my clothes. I stare at him, stunned, while he looks like he wants to die from shame.

"Y-Y/N! Jesus! I'm so sorry!" He spits, wiping his mouth.

"GYAH!" Tweek shrieks for me.

"Ew." Cartman sticks out his tongue in disgust. "Fucking gross, dude."

"Wait, does that mean..." Kyle turns to Kenny. They share frowns with each other. The guys start heckling Stan as he continues to panic over me.

"She needs fresh clothes!" Clyde unzips his jacket.

"Typical." Craig grunts. "Just when it’s getting good, Team Stan sure knows how to ruin the mood."

"Holey Moley!" Butters hovers over me, not sure what to do. I start laughing from the roller coaster of emotions these boys put me through. They stop fighting, confused by my reaction, as I continue to laugh even harder.

"Yep. I love all of you with all my heart."


	36. New Phone

“Y/N...” A red faced Cartman points to his head, “did you get kicked too hard on the head or something? What’s wrong with you?” I can’t stop laughing, wiping tears from my eyes.

“Okay, okay. I’m done.” I assure him. “Bwa ha ha hahaha!”

“Oh boy...Y/N is losing her marbles.” Butters chuckles, fiddling with his thumbs.

"I knew you guys were sick of me!" I joke to Stan who shoves his hands into his pockets in embarrassment.

"Not true..." Stan firmly denies, looking straight into my eyes. "J-just when you said you l-love us I-“ Stan throws his hands over his mouth, turning around. I hear a dramatic gulp and he deeply heaves into the chilly air.

"Are you okay, Stan?" I poke his back, no longer laughing. He lets out a sigh, nodding weakly. "My confession almost made you choke on your vomit."

_'I guess he has a weak stomach right now, what timing.'_

"No! It's just, I haven't done that in so long. I only barf like that when...n-nevermind," he leans down, picking up my crutch. "Sorry for throwing up on you."

“It’s okay it happens,” I tell him, “good thing I didn’t wear my fav red scarf today.” I slid off my vomit covered jacket, dropping it to the ground, as a helpful Clyde attempts to hand me his jacket.

I put up my hand declining, “keep it Clydey, it’s cold.”

”Just accept it.” He huffs, dressing me with his jacket. I give him my thanks, noticing there’s still some vomit on my pants.

"Let's go before you throw up on her again." Kyle throws his arm over his best friend's shoulder as Stan hands me my crutch.

“Craig?” I call out to him, he lifts his eyebrow in response. “Can you run and grab me my spare black leggings from my locker? You have the longest legs." Tweek chuckles at my reasoning.

“I don’t know your locker combo.” He reminds me. Kenny slides next to him, whispering something in his ears. Craig gives him a nod and runs off. I forgot Kenny knows my locker number.

“AH- Y/N, l-let’s head back. It's almost lunch t-time." Tweek gingerly picks up my soiled jacket. “I’ll throw these in a bag for y-you.” He runs off before I can respond. He really is sweet. Butters and Cartman walk off to secure our seats in the lunchroom, but I have a feeling it's so Cartman can nab the good food first.

“Y/N,” Kenny slips his hand under my free hand. “I feel the same way about you.” He gives me the sweet smile he usually shows around only Karen and I. I fangirl scream, internally.

“M-me too!” Clyde interrupts, popping up next to me. “Not just as a frie-

Kenny slaps his hand across from me over Clyde’s face, giving him a scary glare that reminds me of Mysterion.

“What is it?” I ask as Clyde smacks Kenny's hand away.

“Nothing...” Clyde sulks away, peering at Kenny, before facing me again. "You look cute in my jacket, by the way." He exaggeratedly lifts his eyebrows up and down, making me laugh. They both walk at my pace, while I swing my arm with Kenny, with the crutch in my other arm. Clyde glares at him with a pout, as Craig catches up to us. He hands me my leggings and I go to change in the restroom, before heading to the cafeteria to rejoin them. The gossips and stares don’t bother me as much anymore, as I make my way down the hall. A familiar well groomed Blond stands near a locker and I call out to him.

"Gary!" I brush my hair with my only free hand. "Thank you so much for vouching for me! It means a lot. I didn't know you noticed all that." He smiles sweetly at me. His bright smile is like staring at the sun.

"I didn't do much. I'm sure you would have done the same." He’s like an angel sent from South Park Heaven.

"Don't be so humble!" I compliment him "You're very perceptive. I don't know if everything would have worked out without you. Everyone played a part in helping me. I can't thank you enough."

"Thanks" He smiles.

"No, thank _you_!" I emphasize. "Really, I'm happy you were there."

"You're welcome." His smile grows. "I'm happy I was there too. I’m more than happy to help. A person like you shouldn't have gone through any of that. It was simply cruel and unfair.”

"Yeah...thanks again Gary. I'll see you around?"

"Any time." His smile shines, practically blinding me. I dramatically cover my eyes , making him confused.

"Sorry, you just have an angelic smile." I gush at him before running off. My ears barely catch a "you too” but it could have been my wishful thinking.

I see the boys sitting at a table in the corner. Clyde dramatically pushes Craig, who is sitting beside him, to give me room. Craig just gapes his mouth in annoyance. I can see Kenny holding my bag for me in anticipation for the lunch I prepared for him. Before that, I decide to detour to the boys close by.

“Jimmy! Dovahkiin! Token! Scott!” I cry out to each of them. They’re sitting at a table near the entrance. I guess they left the office together. “Thank you for helping me, you’re true friends.” I blush, scratching my arm.

Token grins, “you’re our friend, we wouldn’t let you go down without a fight.” I receive a familiar ping from my phone.

Dovahkiin: No prob :P

I smile at my phone before smiling at the quiet boy. 

“I’m releasing the weekly s-s-s-s-school newspaper online so that everyone can receive it a-a-a-asap!” Jimmy gives me a thumbs up.

“He’s going to crush the stupid rumors!” Scott says in excitement. "I'm helping to it get it out by tomorrow."

”Seriously, I don’t know what I would do without you guys. How can I ever repay you?”

”A d-d-d-date.” Jimmy responds without missing a beat.

”You want some fruit?” I joke.

“Potato, potahtoe. Either way I’m g-g-g-going to be eating it.” He gives me a cheesy wink.

”G-geez Jimmy!" I blush, "I’ll think of something...look forward to it!”

They smile as I walk to the table where our other friends are impatiently waiting. I grab my bag from Kenny to give him his lunch.

"Marry me!" He licks his lips while grabbing his food.

"She can't marry broke, Kinny." Cartman insinuates.

"We're practically already married." He smirks at me. "When should I move my stuff into your locker?"

"Not you too." I laugh.

"It was Jimmy wasn't it?" Clyde shouts, patting the seat waiting for me. Team Stan are across from me as I sit next to Clyde, Craig, Tweek, and Butters in that order.

"You look good right now." Clyde leans into his hand, eyeing me.

"Thanks, it's the jacket." I chuckle ,"I'll return it later, kay?"

Stan stops munching his food. "Y/N, can we hang out tomorrow?”

”Yes! I just have to do something tomorrow morning. I need to fix my phone. Otherwise, no one will be able to reach me.” I show them my cracked phone. "It happened when those North Parkies attacked me."

"GYA! Don't remind us about those t-tools! Hopefully they don't show up a-again! AH!" Tweek voices from the other end.

"Who knows, but we fucked them up so they won't be back anytime soon." Craig's expression remains unchanged as he eats.

"Did any of you guys get hurt?" I lean over to look at them. They say no.

"Nope, we sure showed them!" Butters proudly pounds his chest. "I went in disguise so they didn't even know what hit them." I sigh from relief.

”I can go with you to get your phone,” Kyle volunteers and I perk up in excitement. "Wait- shoot, never mind. I have to take Ike somewhere."

"Aw, it's all good. It's just a quick errand." I turn to Stan "By the way... Congrats on you finishing your two weeks!"

"Thanks." He smiles the cute gorgeous smile I missed.

"How should we celebrate? I really want to do something!"

"I have a good idea!" Clyde claps to get everyone's attention at the table. "Why don't we go to Raisins? We can take you out for dinner Stan!"

"Hell yeah!" Kenny shouts. "Hot chicks and hot wings!" Craig maintains his expressionless gaze towards Clyde and Stan glances over to me to see my reaction.

"Kinny, why are you happy? You have no money," Cartman talks with a mouthful of food.

"I do some work under the table, duh!" Kenny informs him. I never knew that about him.

"Do you think Y/N would be fine with a place like that?" Kyle brings up, making me tilt my head with curiosity.

"Of course!" Clyde grins with a nod as Kenny nods as well. This pair is surprisingly in sync.

"I don't even know what that is."

"It's a restaurant that has bombass wings." Cartman rubs his belly, imagining the deliciousness.

"It's not about the food!" Clyde insists, "the employees are all cute girls, you can fangirl over them!" I open my eyes and mouth in awe at him. Being surrounded by pretty ladies is a dream.

"Cute girls you say?" I love me some eye candies especially when they are Queens.

"Not just cute...Sexy girls dressed in sexy outfits." Kenny wipes a drool with his hand before snapping out of it. "Not as cute and sexy as you though!"

"I didn't say anything." I deadpan.

"I could read your mind." Kenny chuckles.

"Of course not! No one is cuter or sexier than Y/N!" Clyde stands up to high five Kenny from across the table. I cover my face, groaning into my hands.

"Please make them stop."

"GYAH q-quit it, you're making her un-uncomfortable." Tweek scolds them.

"Sounds cool," Stan smiles, "let's celebrate tomorrow night."

"I would be _soo_ happy celebrating for you." Craig says to him in a monotone, almost nasally, voice.

"Thanks bro because everyone in Team Craig is invited." He cheekily grins and Craig flips him off.

"What should I wear?" I ponder out loud. "I should do my makeup really nice..."

Stan hums as he overhears me. "Y-you don't have to dress up for me..."

"No, no." I deny, "I need to look nice for the pretty ladies. Dress to impress. I want to be good enough to be near them." Butters spits out some of his drink from laughing,

"Y/N, are you sure you aren't a lesbo?" Cartman suspiciously squints at me.

"Bitch, I might be."

"That's kind of hot," Kenny says with Clyde agreeing.

"You two are like pervy twins." I comment.

"No, they're just fuckboys." Cartman grimaces at them.

Kenny put up a finger, " _former_ fuckboys," he corrects him.

"I wasn't a fuckboy, I just wanted love." Clyde whines beside me.

"Only with _pretty_ girls though." Craig intervenes and Clyde whines some more for the stoic teen for outing him.

"Don't worry about them Y/N! Those flings are in the past!" Clyde cries to me.

"Why should I be worried?"

"Good, they don't mean anything to me."

"Ditto!" Kenny hijacks his comments. "I can't even remember half of their names."

_'Is that supposed to be a good thing?'_

"O-okay?" I stammer, feeling confused by their desire to defend themselves to me.

"There's no need to be jealous." Clyde comforts me.

"I'm not."

"Y/N!" Clyde dramatically stops me, "please! You don't have to be like this! You're the only girl that matters."

"I-

"I only have you in my heart. I never felt this way about any-"

"Oh for God's sake." Craig sighs, smacking him lightly on the back of the head to stop Clyde's rambling. I look over to the rest of the table to see Stan pinching between his eyes, and Kyle and Tweek face palming.

"Gee whiz." Butters shakes his head in disappointment.

"So..." Stan moves his hand from his face, "how bout we meet tomorrow at Raisins say...five pm?" They agrees and Kyle informs the others in chat as well.

"I'll pick you up," Kyle says to me.

”By the way,” Cartman brushes some crumbs off his jacket, "why did you let Wendy Testabitch off so easy?” They all look at me as if he asked the question they have been meaning to ask. I think for a bit before responding.

”I don’t forgive her but I'm not sure. Her friends helped me and they care about her very much. I don't want to make them sad.” I look around the cafeteria, noticing none of the cheerleaders are present. I want to thank everyone who helped me but I think I have to wait until Monday.

“You did it for them?” Cartman scoffs, “those skanks knew what she was doing and didn’t stop her.”

”Not just for them, but for me. I would feel guilty, even though I know I shouldn’t be.”

She remind me of _her_.

The first time I thought that was when those girls attacked me on my way home from Butters.

Cartman groans, “you’re too soft, ugh, it’s so annoying.”

”You should have let her have it.” Stan speaks up, surprising me. I shouldn’t be, after what he said today, but they have history together. “She deserves it after what she did to you and what she tried to do.”

Kyle bites his meal in annoyance just from the thought of her. “She gets away with too much. She was crying to manipulate everyone’s feelings, especially yours.”

“I might be wrong, but for some reason, I don’t think she’s the worst person in the world, since so many people love her.” I explain, miserably. “It’s only me she treats badly, I think.”

“She’s too nice.” Tweek say to Butters.

”Yep. That’s Y/N for you.“ Butter tells him. Kenny and Craig nod while listening.

“Must protect,” Clyde squeezes me to his chest and Craig pulls him away.

“I’m not nice, they say living well is the best revenge.” I point out making Cartman roll his eyes.

“You had everything laid out for you...” he grumbles, thirsting for revenge, “pull the trigger next time.”

“Whatever, it’s done,” Craig plainly says. “Y/N doesn't have to worry about her causing her any more trouble but I swear if she does something again, we’ll do something in your stead.” He turns to me and the others murmur in agreement.

“Thanks...I would say I love you again but Stan just ate.” I tease, making them laugh. "Thank you, all of you. I'm just happy I can be with everyone again." I shyly tell them, making everyone smile.

After school, Tweek gives me my vomit covered clothes in a bag to take home to wash. My parents pick me up in their car and Kyle tags along for the free ride. They are pleasantly surprised when Kyle and I tell them about my friends helping prove my innocence. I'm finally free from the lies and deceit. I catch myself from getting emotional again as Kyle smoothly moves his hand over mines, squeezing it during the car ride. His warm smile comforts me. When my parents inquire about my outfit, I brush it off to outfit malfunctions. The next morning, I check to see how well I can walk without my crutch. I practice putting weight on my sprained ankle noting it doesn't hurt. Just to be safe, I'll still bandage it but it appears it will fully heal before the two weeks is up. I throw on some comfortable jeans that roll up above my ankles and a thin hooded sweater.

My parents drop me off at the mall on their way to do errands. I need to replace my phone screen, but when I show my phone to the store clerk, he confirms that a replacement screen would cost as much as getting a new one, so I opt for a new one. 

_'My money_... _I really need to double check how much I have left in my personal savings._..'

Previously, I thought about putting some money in the bank, but Stan told me a scary story, that when he deposited some money, they said all his money was gone in a matter of seconds. 

_'Talk about tragic, that's got to be a no from me.'_

As I leave the store, I notice around four teenagers loitering nearby. The school logo on their jackets makes me break out into sweat and do an automatic U-turn.

_'They're from North Park! Are they here because of me?'_

Hoping not to get noticed, I flinch as I hear the loud voices of the males.

"Shut up retard! I fucking hate having a cousin like you." One of the teen's voice reaches my ears. I turn around to observe the situation.

"I'm not a retard!" A teen shouts at the crowd of the three around him. "You know- _Cock!_ I have Tourette's!" The teens around him cackle as the face of the teen, with the short dirty blond hair, grows red. He looks miserable. " _Dickballs_! C'mon I thought today was- _Fucker sticks!_ Going to be a nice day!"

"Dickballs! God, sometimes it's like you're faking it." His supposed cousin mocks. "That's why you don't have a girlfriend, Thomas."

"Bruh he's going to be a virgin for life." A North Park teen joins in to mercilessly tease him. It looks like he's being bullied.

"Cat got your tongue retard? Oh nevermind, it's just Tourette's!" The three jerks laugh at the poor teen. I feel myself boil with rage. He doesn't look angry, just frustrated and tired.

"Are you- _Fuck! R_ eally going to do this again? _Shitboogers_!" Thomas says, jiggling his leg. His action reminds me of when Butters gets anxious and touches his knuckles and fingers.

"Sh-shit boogers? Jesus what a wuss, no girl isn't going to like that." A teen folds his arm, sizing him up and leaning closer to the cousin. "Damn... your cousin is lame, why did we come to South Park again?"

"T-Thomas?" I cry out, approaching the teen. His eyes pop out when he sees me. "You didn't tell me you were going to the mall today! I could have came with you!" I pout with my hands on my hips. "Hello?" I wave my hand in his face. "Are you just going to keep ignoring me? Is this because I bailed on our last date? My ankle is better now, see!" I wiggle my ankle towards him.

"W-who the fuck is this ch-chick?" His cousin stammers, scanning my body up and down.

"Oh, hello! You must be Thomas' cousin! I forgot, he told me you were visiting." I brush my hair behind my ears. "I'm his girlfriend Y/N." Thomas' and his cousin's eyes bug out at me.

" **What the fuck**?" The teens starts yammering over each other at once.

"Girlfriend? You're Thomas' girlfriend?!"

"No fucking way, you're hot!"

"Thomas, what the fuck?" His cousin looks at him in disbelief, chin hanging low. I wink at Thomas and he immediately catches on.

"Y/N bae..." he begins, "I told you- _Crap shit!_ I was hanging out with my cousin today, I can't just ditch them- Pussy!"

"But I'm here and you're here...can't you hang out with me now?" I swing back and forth with my hands behind his back, waiting for his response. "T-Tommy?"

"Y/N bae...?"

We continue staring into each others' eyes, shyly smiling at each other.

"Geez, you should've said you had a girlfriend..." his cousin grumbles under his breath.

"Are you guys being nice to my Tommy?" I peer at them. They nod, seemingly impressed by Thomas. 

_'How simple are they?'_

"Even you don't have a girlfriend yet." A guy loudly whispers to the cousin, making the cousin frown from embarrassment.

"Let's go guys." He huffs, walking off but turns back to say something. "See you at home, Thomas...you're girlfriend isn't an ugoo." He stomps off as his friends whistle at us, leaving us alone. We wait for them to leave out of sight and turn to each other. t

" **I-I'm sorry**!" We both shout at the same time with our heads down.

"Sorry, I don't like when North Parkies bully others, it's so immature." I sympathetically smile to the stranger.

"North Parkies?" He chuckles. "You- _Cock_! Really saved my ass. Sorry, I have Tourette's Syndrome." He apologetically scratches his head.

"Don't be sorry. I learned about Tourette's in school, I understand a little about it...sounds like a pain."

"It is," he sighs. "So many misunderstandings..."

"I couldn't help but eavesdrop earlier since they were so loud."

He sighs again, "my cousin is always like that- _Horse fucker bitch_! Unfortunately, he brought some friends this time."

"I expect that from strangers but from family? Wow." I shake my head.

"Thanks for helping me though. I was surprised- _Dipshit_! When a pretty girl started calling herself my girlfriend." He blushes and makes me blush as well. He's pretty cute.

"Thanks for not getting totally creeped out when I did all that."

"I welcome the self proclaimed girlfriend." He chuckles, before shouting another obscenity. "Sorry."

"Don't be," I smile. "My name is Y/N and you're Thomas?"

"You can call- _Cockmaster_! Me Tommy if you want," he insists, making us laugh. "To be honest, I see you around school. Suck my cock! You hang out with Team Stan and Team Craig, right?" I widen my eyes in surprise. "Those rumors about you couldn't have been more wrong."

"Dumb rumors....You don't even know the half of it," I sigh "Sorry, I don't recognize you from school."

"I try to keep on the down low." He grins at me. "I've always wanted to at least say hi to you, but you're friends- Jesus! Can be a little scary." I tilt my head, feeling unsure if they really are or not. They're just my beloved friends.

"Say hi to me, anytime!" I tell him as he thanks me once again with a refreshing smile that no longer looks as tired.

I decide to waste some time before my parents are available to pick me up. I check out some stores that I couldn't browse when I was with Butters, since I didn't want him to suffer going through the feminine stores. When I pass by Hot Topic, I giggle from the memory of when we disguised ourselves as Goths to hide from our friends. My eyes don't leave the graphic t-shirts as I scan the familiar memes and fandoms. I want more merchandise from my superhero friends. During my window browsing, I rudely bump into someone.

"S-sorry! I wasn't paying attention." I tell the fashionable handsome teen before me. He has stylish black hair parted on one side, longer on the other. His makeup, piercing, accessories, and dark clothes make me assume he's either Goth like my friends or emo. I never talked to any _emo_ students from my school because I never had a chance and not because Pete warned me to stay away from the 'emofags' in his words. He parts his mouth, slightly revealing a sharp fang.

"Fear not femme mortal. My name is Vampir and you must be...?" He speaks casually with the fake teeth in his mouth. Costumes are impressive nowadays, it almost looks real.

"My name is Y/N." I shamelessly check out his style. "You're style is cool." I don't fail to mention.

"It comes with the territory. I'm a vampire per se." He almost hisses his confession. He must like roleplaying. 

_'I can get into that.'_

"I almost thought you were Goth," I chuckle "I didn't know there are vampires in South Park. No one warned me."

"We are nothing like the Goths. We are a peaceful race, only hunting for blood out of necessity."

"I see..." I find him interesting _. "_ There's more of you?"

"We dwell at South Park High in the shadows." He informs me, licking his pointy tooth.

"I go to that school too!"

"Interesting...perhaps, we will meet again. You should leave before your blood tempts me." He playfully chuckles. I almost start having flashbacks to my superhero friend, Mosquito.

_'I wonder who sucks the best...wait what am I thinking?'_

I say goodbye to my fellow student and head out the mall to wait for my parents. 

_'Thank you South Park Gods...'_


	37. New Smiles

“What should I wear?” Throwing off my current shirt, I change into a different top in a split second. “No, not this one.” I sigh to myself. I really want to look nice tonight, since I’m going to be around cute and sexy ladies, according to Kenny and Clyde. I already did my make up, spending an insane amount of time making it look nice and wearing a choker. I wish I have someone to consult. I jump into bed, grumbling into my pillow. If only Nichole or Henrietta were here, but then again I haven’t had a chance to hang with Nichole, one on one, and that needs to change. If Henrietta was here, she would lament over my conformist clothes and the thought made me laugh.

Sometimes, I wish I have a life outside of fangirling over my friends, but then I remember, fangirling _is_ life.I could feel a burning flame from my passion towards cute and cool things reignite. I’ve been keeping the flame on the down low because of all the _llama drama_ but now I can be myself again. 

_‘Hmm... should I dress sexy or cute or cool or ARGH! What am I doing? I’m acting like I’m going on a date with these girls, this is about Stan. What kind of outfit does he like on a girl?’_

I receive a mental image of a long black hair girl, wearing a purple beret. A shiver creeps up my spine.

_’Why am I even asking myself this? Why is this so hard?’_

I think back to this morning. I practically cried into group chat because the paper, written by Jimmy and edited by Scott, was released. Wendy’s lies was brought to light and my innocence was proven. Jimmy kept a lot of details out of the paper, respecting our privacy, but told enough to shame and expose Wendy, to highlight my good reputation. They dispelled all rumors regarding my supposed bullying and violence. I expressed as much gratitude to Jimmy as I could through chat. Apparently, I will have a chance to thank Scott in person, since Stan invited him and Dovahkiin to dinner tonight. Jimmy and Token had to decline due to family affairs. I told Jimmy to break a leg, but not literally of course. My parents are having dinner with some of my friends’ parents too. It’s almost like an apology dinner from the adults, according to the group chat. I slip on some sheer black stockings under torn styled jean shorts.

_‘Should I really be dressing like this in the cold weather of South Park? No, but sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the sake of looking good.’_

I find a long sleeve graphic T-shirt with a kitty in reaper clothes. Thinking I might look okay, I decide to send the outfit to group chat as if they’re people who care about female fashion. My camera is tilted vertically as I pose for a few pictures in front of my body mirror.

**Group Chat**

**Y/N_chan :** What do u think? Honest opinions.

[ _Pic from the front_ ] [ _pic from the back_ ]

Is this good enough for Raisin girls?

 **Secksi_Ken:** Wait.

I had to save it first.

Dayum Y/N. [ _wink emote_ ]

 **SlimJim** : I see what I’m missing out on.

You look mad cute.

 **Chaotic_Bun :** Cutie!

 **Clydelicious** : 11/10

Feel free to send me more pics of you, to rate your outfits, anytime.

 **Secksi_Ken:** Me too, I’ll rate the heck out of them.

 **Coonman** : UGH yeah right, you two are going to do more than just rate them.

 **Clydelicious** : Us? We’re just innocent teenage boys?  
Right, bro? [ _smile emote_ ]

 **Secksi_Ken:** Right bro. [ _smile emote_ ] 

**Craigbot** : Drink some water, thirsty fucks.

 **Sweetweek :** You look cute Y/N! Anything looks nice on you.

 **Kyley_B** : She's more excited about the Raisin girls than all of us lol

You look pretty btw.

 **StantheMan:** If you dressed like that for a date with me, I would have a heart attack.

 **Sweetweek :** Me too, JESUS.

 **SlimJim** : I'm having one right now! Call the ambulance!

 **Y/N_chan :** But am I _‘Raisin girl, please look at me and notice me’_ kind of cute?

 **Kyley_B** : Yes.

 **Secksi_Ken:** Yea.

 **Coonman** : Not as cute as the wings I will be having tonight. [ _heart emote_ ]

 **Y/N_chan :** But still cute, got it. [ _smile emote_ ]

 **Chaotic_Bun :** Eric! She’s cuter than wings!

 **Tokn** : I asked Nichole what she thought.

She told me to tell you ‘LOOKING GOOD!’ [ _heart emote_ ] caps and heart emoji and all

She recommends a button up flannel to layer or something.

 **Y/N_chan :** OMG! You’re with Nichole right now?

Good idea! Tell her thanks and that I said hi!

 **Tokn** : She says hi [ _heart emote_ ] she told me not to forget the heart emoji

I’m with Craig and Clyde right now too.

 **Y/N_chan :** Tell Nichole I will text her later, I want to hang out hehe.

 **Tokn** : She says ‘can’t wait!’

 **Y/N_chan :** YAY!

 **Coonman** : GAY!

 **Y/N_chan :** ( _GAY INTENSIFIES)_

Hey Craig?

 **Craigbot** : What?

 **Y/N_chan :** [ _Selfie of me flipping off the camera_ ]

 **Craigbot** : ...

 **Clydelicious** : I saw him save it.

 **Tokn** : Clyde is running for his life.

 **Sweetweek :** I don’t think he’ll make it to Stan’s dinner, if he’s dead lol

 **StantheMan:** RIP Clyde, you won’t be missed.

 **Y/N_chan :** Thanks for the confidence boost everyone. [ _heart emote_ ]

They were full of compliments and I’m soaking it up like a sponge. I'm flattered, whether they were just being nice or not.

**Y/N_chan :** Kyle look out your window! Does this flannel look good?

I wait for the redhead cutie next door to open his curtains. A few seconds later, his curtains slid open as I spin in front of my window. He cracks a smile, giving me a thumbs up.

**Clydelicious** : I wish I lived next door...

I bet u get to see Y/N all the time.

Have you ever seen Y/N do anything embarrassing? Tea please.

Immediately, I recall when he saw me doing yoga and when he saw me in my pajamas without a bra on. If it had to be anyone as my neighbor, I'm glad it's him since he warns me if he can see me.

**Kyley_B** : No comment.

 **Y/N_chan :** No comment.

 **Sweetweek :** That's SUSPICIOUS! GYA!

 **StantheMan:** Bro, you been holding out on me?

 **Coonman** : Jews can't be trusted.

He probably peeks at her 24/7, creepy Jew.

 **Kyley_B** : WTF Fatass, you're just jealous I can see Y/N whenever I want.

 **Y/N_chan :** Kyle is a polite gentleman, but I check to see when he opens his curtains all the time.

Ky looks cute without his jacket on...Fluffy red hair!

One time I saw him without his shirt on! His abs killed me. [ _heart emote_ ]

Even from my distance, I can see Kyle blushing from his window, while looking down at his phone. Kyle opens his window, while looking at me.

"Y/N! You perv!" He shouts, flustered with growing pink cheeks. I open my window to deliver a message.

"Thanks neighbor!"

**Craigbot** : Y/N, make sure you properly close your curtains and that your window is always locked.

 **Y/N_chan :** Thanks Craigy.

 **Chaotic_Bun :** I think you should be telling that to Kyle, Craig lol

 **Secksi_Ken:** I would try to sneak into Y/N's window every night. [ _heart emote_ ]

 **Y/N_chan :** Don't lol

 **Secksi_Ken:** I can show you my abs whenever you want. [ _wink emote_ ]

 **Y/N_chan :** I'm not sure if I would be happy getting flashed lol

 **Clydelicious** : Y/N, you know we all have abs right? We play sports.

 **Craigbot** : Not all of us.

 **Clydelicious** : Oh yeah, I don't think Cartman and Butters has one.

 **Coonman** : Abs are overrated. I have a body of a MAN.

 **Kyley_B** : Is that what you call it?

 **Chaotic_Bun :** I think Y/N likes my squishiness!

 **Y/N_chan :** I do! You're muscles are firm, but you're so soft and cuddly!

10/10 would hide under a blanket with you again.

 **Chaotic_Bun :** Oh hamburgers. You just outed yourself as a perv.

I need to kick you out of Team Butters.

 **Y/N_chan :** WAIT

 **Secksi_Ken:** NANI?!

 **Clydelicious** : BUTTERS?!

 **Chaotic_Bun :** Make a Team Perv with Clyde and Kenny.

I'm disowning you.

 **Y/N_chan :** But I luv you, I luv us.

 **Chaotic_Bun :** Golly Y/N I luv you too!

Welcome back to Team Bunbun! [ _heart emote_ ]

 **Craigbot** : WHAT?

I text Nichole if she is free tomorrow to hang out. She's seeing an afternoon movie with Token so they both invite me to join them.

‘ _My twintail Queen Nichole.’_

Apparently, they’re watching a popular movie that just got released.

Me: Like a double date?!

Nicole Queen: It's not a double date if it's just you lol

Feel free to bring a date!

"Kyle!" I shout from my window. He's sitting at his desk, turning his head to me. "Do you want to go to the movies with me, Token, and Nichole tomorrow?"

"Yes!" He shouts back.

"Nichole and Token are on a date, it's almost like a double date!" I laugh.

"Good for you, bro!" Ike shouts from outside and we wave at each other. "I can hear your conversation from across the street!"

"We need to keep it down!" I yell to Kyle.

"Then why are you getting louder?" Kyle yells back. "Let's play some video games before we leave for tonight!"

A half an hour before five, Kyle rings the doorbell. When I open the door I'm surprised at how different Kyle looks. He's not wearing his usual green hat, instead, his curly red hair is styled with hair gel or hair wax and the red color emphasizes his beautiful green eyes. His dark green knitted sweater and blue jeans gives him a cuddly good, boy next door, appearance. I instantly feel blessed.

"Wow, Kyle! You look good!" I gasp as he smiles in return.

"You went all out so I thought I should too." He shyly grins at me.

"So handsome!" I give him a thumbs up. "Let me take a picture of you!" I whip out my phone, not waiting for his response, as I take some pictures with his cheeks growing red. As we travel, I show him my new phone and he tells me about what he had to do earlier with Ike. Turns out Ike has been taking music lessons and he needed something for his instrument. I squeak upon hearing about it and Kyle tells me he'll let me know when Ike performs in the future. Kyle reaches out to hold my hand, since I keep walking ahead of him too fast from excitement.

"Raisin girls!" I urge Kyle.

"That's not a real sentence," he chuckles "careful, the ice can get slippery." Unfortunately, I slip forward, bringing him down with me. I sit up, laughing, because even though we hit the ground, he didn't let go of my hand.

"You were saying?" I say, checking my mostly healed ankle.

"Geez,” he laughs, standing up before me and pulling me up with him.

"Clumsy asses!” We hear someone shout behind us. We turn to see a smug Cartman next to a grinning Kenny and Stan.

"You, guys!" I shout, pulling Kyle with me to run back to them. Kyle is caught off guard and almost trips. 

"You're too careless, Y/N." Kenny laughs out loud.

"We saw everything." Stan glances down at our connected hands. "Is your ankle okay now?"

"Yes!" I straighten up, showing them my no longer swelling ankle "Thanks for asking. Doesn't hurt anymore, but I won't go jumping around, even though I want to because..." my eyes sparkle as I shamelessly begin checking them out. They're dressed different than usual as well. Cartman isn't wearing his hat and looks like he put in some effort to look good today. He parted his brown hair wearing a red parka with a faux fur lined hoodie and brown cargo pants. He looks like a ten out of ten for cute and I know the guys would gag if they heard me say that.

Stan went without a hat as well, showing his parted black bangs and a brown sports jacket with the logo _Tegridy_ on it with dark blue jeans. He looks like the attractive guy every girl has a crush on. Kenny looks the most different, since he opted out of his orange jacket, wearing torn washed out jeans and a rolled up loose orange long sleeve, showing his forearms. I admit he’s fine as Hell.

"You, guys, look amazing!" I gush, letting go of Kyle's hand to scan their appearance. "Wow! What's the occasion? Stan or the Raisin girls?" I circle around them like paparazzi with my new phone, taking pictures of all of them. 

"Neither." Stan chuckles while Cartman and Kenny willingly pose. I force Team Stan to stand together, for me to take a group shot of them. Stan reminds me, we’re going to be late. As we approach the restaurant, I squeal from the sight of Craig, Clyde, Tweek, Butters, Dovahkiin, and Scott, as they loiter outside a building, waiting for us. 

_‘Why does everyone look so good today? Thank you South Park Gods.’_

I stop in my tracks to give a light prayer to them, for the snacks and bountiful feasts. Snacks being the boys and feast being my wives to be.

"Y-Y/N!" I hear Tweek call out to me. 

_‘Sorry Tweek. I hear you, but I'm too deep in prayer right now to stop.’_

"Amen." I clap, dramatically. “Why does everyone look so good to day?” I cry out in happiness as I rush to them. Tweek isn't wearing his usual buttoned up shirt, despite it being my guilty pleasure to fix. He's wearing a light green turtle neck sweater with slim beige pants. If he sports some glasses, he would be a fine looking teen professor. I'm ready for remedial lessons.

"W-why are you looking at me like that? ACK! Do I look strange?" Tweek fidgets while I hungrily eye him, up and down.

"Careful, not to drool." Craig teases without showing any shyness while I gawk. His comment goes ignored as I burn his image into my eyes. He’s wearing a black leather jacket with a dark blue rocket ship T-shirt and black jeans. He looks like a bad boy, even though I believe him to be the opposite. My happiness is exploding, I feel like crying tears of joy.

"Sweet Jesus...I think she's in fangirl mode." Butters says, wearing a white collared shirt under a light blue vest and gray pants. He looks like a whole cutie pie that I want a slice from. There’s always room for dessert.

"H-hey Y/N." Scott blushes, seeing my intense fangirling in person. He's probably only ever heard about it from the boys only chat. Scott combed back his curls, wearing a yellow shirt with a thick brown cardigan and blue pants. He looks like the cute guy any girl would happily introduce to her mom.

"Do you like what you see?" Clyde winks, attempting to hide his embarrassment over my overreaction. Simply put, Clyde looks like boyfriend material. He's wearing a unbuttoned collared shirt layered over a black shirt with the logo Terrance and Phillip, and jean shorts pass his knees, showing off his nice shoes.

‘.....’

I smile at Dohvakiin after seeing his dotted text. He's wearing all black with a silver belt around his black jeans and a black graphic T-shirt with a baseball cap.

_‘You’re trying to blend in like a ninja? I see you. I can spot a hot guy a mile away!’_

"Forget about the Raisin girls! Oh my God! All the _pressure_ , yes!" I run around them with my phone, taking many pictures, while Tweek whines in embarrassment from my action. "I'm already full! Everyone looking like three course meals! Thank you, God!"

"Y-Y/N is losing it!" Tweek laughs in a high pitch, probably due to the nervousness around my crazy.

"I feel like I'm going to faint, all of you look so cute, and hot, and cool, and..." I tear up from how amazing they look. Legit tears of happiness is forming in my eyes.

"You're being dramatic." Stan laughs. Cartman and Kenny pout from not being the center of my attention anymore. I force them all into a group shot, taking pictures from all angles.

"C-calm down buddy." Butters taps his knuckles together. "You said you wouldn't freak out anymore!"

"I say a lot of things!" I confess as I pinch his cheeks while he whines.

"I'm not a kid Y/N!"

"Bunny!"

"I'm kind of scared to see how she would act drunk." Scott says to the gang who nods in response.

"Kyaaaa!" I squeal before Craig flicks my forehead with his forefinger, bringing me back to reality. "O-ow! Craig! What was that for?"

"Save it for when you see the Raisin girls." He motions to the restaurant with his head, hiking my excitement once more. I take a deep breath, in and out, trying to collect myself as we head in as a group. 

_‘Who am I kidding?’_

I clasp my hands to my cheeks with my eyes together, squealing back and forth. I can hear Craig sighing next to me, waiting for me to go in before him.

"Why do you all look so good today?" I ask them, making them feel self conscious. They choose not to answer as they usher me into a building with a huge orange logo, RAISINS.

" **Hey cuties. Welcome to Raisins**!" I hear a chorus of high pitched voices greet us.

At that moment I knew I hit the peak of happiness. A horrible realization dawns on me as I realize I never prepared a will. Maybe I died and went to heaven. My body instantly stiffens and I mechanically move, while the guys are greeted by sexy teenage girls, in white tank tops with Raisins on it and orange short shorts. A girl makes eye contact with me and winks at me. 

_‘Eeep!’_

I died. This body is simply an empty vessel, because my soul has already ascended. They seat us in a large table for ten, but they bring in another chair since there is eleven of us. I don't say as word and take a seat on pilot mode.

”I love your clothes, girlfriend.” A passing Raisin girl compliments me, making me feel glad I spent all that time carefully choosing my outfit.

”She has great fashion sense.” Another girl pipes up.

Stan leans into me from the seat beside me. "Is this everything you ever hoped for?" He waves a hand in front of my face when I don't respond. "Y/N? Y/N!"

"Y-Y/N?" Tweek pats my shoulder from the other seat beside me. I take out my phone.

Me: I'M DEAD DON'T TALK TO ME ANYMORE

Dovahkiin: Hi DEAD. I'm dad.

Me: Hi dad.

Dovahkiin: She gone now, dudes.

"It seems like, just yesterday, Stan threw up all over her!" Clyde fake wails into Kenny's arms. Stan looks away, when Dohvahkiin and Scott question him with their eyes.

"Oh hamburgers...Y/N. I think she short circuited." Butters laughs, picking up the menu.

"Speaking of hamburgers...I'll order some of that," Cartman grins, not caring about my odd behavior. "Since Y/N is out of commission. I'll eat her portion of everything." Cartman licks his lips, while signaling one of the Raisin beauties to get him a drink. Clyde and Kenny check out the girls as they walk by while slyly touching their shoulders.

"Those girls are really working for their tips." Craig speculates, unbothered by their looming presence. Tweek continues to twitch while observing my frozen state. A blond female with sexy make up, walks over to us with a mini notebook out.

”I’m so happy you, cuties, came. I was totally bored and now I’m totally not.” She flutters her eyelashes at us as Kenny, Clyde, and I swoon from our seats. “What would you, cuties, like to order?” I clam up as she reaches my seat.

“And what would you like sweet thang?” She questions, leaning over me with a professional customer service smile. My mouth is practically glued shut.

“Get her number three,” Cartman orders for me from the other side of the table. My eyes automatically scan to the third order on the menu, and it happens to be an entree with sides that I would like. Cartman acted like he chose it at random, but I think he chose it ahead of time while considering my preferences.

“Is that okay, cutie?” She asks me, making me blush. All I can do is nod in response, as she repeats all our orders correctly, before leaving us alone.

“Y/N...you’re acting weirder than usual.” Craig tilts his head.

“I-I’m so happy,” I finally find my voice. Hiding behind my hands, I peek through my fingers at everyone and everything with big eyes. “All of you look so good, eye candies everywhere...and the Raisin girls...oh Lord.” My eyes drift to Stan and I barely remember something. “Before I forget, welcome back, Stan!” I congratulate him, making the blue eyed cutie smile. Everyone cheers for him as our appetizers arrive, and I freeze up again when a Raisin girl passes by.

The guys joke and laugh, having a good time. Dovahkiin keeps silent, but looks amused, despite not needing to open his mouth. Cartman mutters something that makes Kyle yell at him. Butters tries to keep them calm, while Stan laughs at the three. Kenny and Clyde throw lame pick up lines as the girls walk past them while giggling. Craig and Scott are discussing the school newspaper they released online. While everyone is distracted, I lean closer to my seat neighbor.

“Tweekikhins.”

“Yes Y/N?” He turns to me “Oh Jesus!”

“What is it?”

“N-nothing I didn’t expect you to be so close,” he laughs, nervously, “your pictures...you- ACK, look more amazing in person.” I blush from the unexpected compliment. Reading it through messages and hearing it in person is something else.

“I’m craving some coffee.” I tell him,making conversation.

“M-me too.”

“I thought you would say that...” I shuffle from my purse pulling out a bag of candy. “This is for you.”

“C-coffee candy?” He reads the package.

“Yeah! They have a little caffeine in them and I really like this brand. They taste just like coffee! They are creamy and have a little bit of chocolate. It’s not as good as your coffee though. You make the best!”

“Th-thanks Y/N!” He reads the labels before setting the package next to him.

“It's for um...helping me that night. Well, I wanted to share them with you before then, but I never got a chance to properly thank you.”

Tweek's eyes widen when he registers what I am talking about. “Y-you’re welcome Y/N!” He calmly says, “I was really happy you called me.”

“Y-you’re the first person I thought of,” I confess, feeling silly, “you must think I’m childish.”

“No, we all have things that scare us.” Tweek assures me. “I was scared you were in danger. I’m glad I could help you feel safe.” He flinches possibly from his caffeine in his bloodstream/ I feel my heart skip because it almost looked like a wink.

“If you ever need a favor, let me know.” I quietly tell him.

“What are you two talking about over there?” Cartman sticks his nose into our conversation.

“I-it’s a secret. Right, Tweek?” I playfully wink at him.

“I don’t like when people keep secrets from me.” Cartman peers at us, suspiciously, “especially Y/N.”

“Why is Tweek blushing?” Clyde pouts.

“I-I’m not blushing! AH!” Tweek hides his face.

I observe as Dovahkiin and Craig looked at the Raisin girls, who are casually touching their arms and shoulders, as they refill their drinks or hand them some napkins. They don’t look the least bit interested in them, in fact, Craig almost looks annoyed. I heard he didn't care enough to talk to girls, and now I'm seeing it live outside of school. Besides them, the only one who didn’t check out the girls or pay them any attention, is Cartman. He rubs his hand together as he sings a little song about the food we placed orders on. Butters giggles as he waves at a Raisin girl with orange hair. Stan and Kyle grin as an employee brushes her hand across their shoulders from behind. When the food arrives, I finally understand why Cartman keeps making such a fuss about only the food.

"The food is so good!" I squeal, nibbling on everything. Tweek takes notice and let's me try a piece of his food and so does Stan. We watch as some of the Raisin girls play games with each other and flirt with the customers. The other teen boys in the restaurant, stare at them lovestruck and they are a whole _mood_ because so do I. One of the Raisin girls grabs a microphone, singing karaoke with another Raisin girl. I feel excitement seeing them sing and I clap throughout their performance. Clyde and Kenny push Butters to sing a song, he made a Youtube video for when he was younger.

He hits his knuckles together, unprepared until they play the song, handing him the mic.

"Go Butters!" I scream proud of the bunny. "Team BunBun represent!" Kenny goes up to dance as Butters sing. The girls playfully dance along as we all cheer from our seats. Butters confidence grows as Kenny dances and Clyde whistles. By the end of the song, Butters is wiggling his bottom, feeling the groove. Everyone claps for the cute blondie as he bows and returns to his seat.

The guys from our table, except for Dovahkiin, join Butters on stage as we wait patiently for them to choose a new song to sing. They huddle up, choosing something to play over the Bluetooth speakers, and begin singing a song I can only describe as South Park's theme song. It was catchy and I recorded them, noting to myself to make the song my ringtone. The song goes by fast, not even a whole minute, but the audience stomps and hollers in excitement. They choose a new song, pulling up the lyrics on their phone.

My ears perk up hearing the unfamiliar song, but I know I already like it. It's not what I expected the silly group to sing after their first one, but they passionately sing it in turns. When it gets to the chorus, they all shout the lyrics, making the Raisin girls and the male audience laugh at their contagious energy and fun performance. They really can sing and dance. If I was conceited, I would even think they were singing to me half the time since they keep looking at me. They return to the table, smiling in a good mood, even Craig.

"Y-Y/N, your face is red." Tweek chuckles and I bring my hands to my cheeks.

”You, guys, sang so good, I’m surprised you aren’t famous.” I have been feeling a little weird, all day. In fact, I think it was ever since Stan threw up on me, no actually, it must have been before that. Maybe when I told my friends how I felt about them. I just love my friends, but for some reason, it somehow feels a little different. My fangirling feels like it's on overdrive now, and my heart pounds as I look at them, one by one. My mind brings images of the boys who aren’t here as well. I wonder why I feel like my heart is going to burst. It's probably the spice seasoning on some of this food. It's really spicy.

"Was our performance that good?" Stan grins, taking a drink from his cup.

"Yeah..." I feel my cheeks burn, "it was almost like you, guys, were singing to me." I giggle, shaking my head. They glance at each other and I show them the video on my phone of their first performance.


	38. New Invite

"Hey Tweek, can you watch my purse?" I stand up and he pulls my stuff closer to him. I shyly ask one of the Raisin girls, the direction to the restroom and she guides me there, herself. My reflection in the mirror, shows my makeup is still intact and I'm smiling to myself. Dinner is going great so far. I'm surrounded by my hot guy friends and hot female employees. 

_'Bless.'_

On my way out, I bump into a semi familiar face. He has medium length, blond hair styled back, and appears very suave. 

_'Where have I seen him before?'_

It's not until I see the muscular wild looking boy behind him, that I recall where I have seen the two. The Blond straightens up, slapping his fist into his hand as he seems to recvall me as well.

"O-oh!" I stammer, "haven't I met you two at the amusement park, not too long ago?" I never forget handsome or beautiful faces. It's one of my biggest hobbies to engrave beauty into my mind's art gallery like a collector of the finest arts. I didn't get a chance to fangirl over them, because of the craziness that day.

"Yes, I'm Gregory and this fellow is Christophe ze Mole." He politely glances at my appearance, "I almost didn't recognize you Miss..."

"Y/N." I reintroduce myself.

"Miss Y/N. You look more beautiful than the first time we met." He flashes me a handsome smile. I fight an urge to trail my eyes down to his sinfully exposed neck and chest. He didn't button up the first few buttons of his collared shirt.

"T-thanks. Hi Gregory and hi Mole? What a coincidence." I smile. "I'm here with my friends, we're having a celebration dinner. I didn't know you two were here. Small world, huh?" The Mole straightens out his broad back that's carrying a shovel.

"Not small enough." The Mole grits his teeth into an unlit cigarette, "dere are too many tunnels and escape routes to dig in ze world. Missions are tiring and then you appear." He stands next to the blond, peering down to me. "It must be God's way of mocking us. Gracing me with the presence of a radiant angel, only to tear her away from us just like that." He snaps his fingers together, stepping closer to me. "Now she appears before me, more charming than the last, and yet, if ze world is so small, why couldn't I have met her sooner? Damn you God, damn you straight to Hell!" He shakes his fist to the ceiling.

"Y-yeah, I agree...I think?" I'm not sure if he's angry at me or God, but he still, somehow, managed to compliment me. His arm muscles looks amazing. He's wearing a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his shoulders, exposing all his involuntary flexing. I wonder how it would feel to hug him. Wow, I can't control my thoughts today, especially since their accents are wooing me.

"In fact..." The Mole rests his chin in his hand, squinting at me, further enhancing his sexy eye wrinkles. "God has never been so kind to me. Perhaps, you have appeared before us, as a spy sent to foil our plans or a potential traitor...?" He maintains strong eye contact, making me take a step back.

"What's taking you, Y/N?"

I turn around coming face to face with Craig's chest. He holds an expressionless gaze until he notices the two in front of me, furrowing his eyes at them. "Who are you, two?" He questions, while stepping ahead of me.

"We don't need to introduce ourselves to a _boy_." Gregory remarks, uninterested in the new company. Craig stares back at him, equally unimpressed. 

"I didn't break out to have my lunch disturbed, _sheet_." The Mole chews on his cigarette. "We are talking to ze lady."

"Are they bothering you?" Craig checks my expression.

"Craig...no, they aren't bothering me! We were just catching up." I step ahead of him, making sure he doesn't misunderstand. He raises his eyebrows at me before taking a step back. "Okay. I came to check on you, since Tweek said you were gone for a while." He suspiciously eyes the teens.

"I'll be back soon." I assure him. He walks away, giving the pair one last threatening glance.

"Sorry about that." I chuckle to them. "And no, I'm not a spy or a traitor. I don't even know what you two do."

"We could inform you about our social activism and political affairs." Gregory smoothly strolls closer to me, confident now that the intruder has left. "Come, won't you join us for a meal while we get to know one another?" He invites me with a smile revealing his brilliant teeth. "Don't worry about this man, he's rough around the edges, but who doesn't like to tame a beast?" He shoots a look at his friend, waiting for him to respond.

"We would be honored to have you dine with us." The Mole scratches his gruff chin, looking away.

"Y/N, what are you doing? I thought you were taking a shit." Cartman strolls up next to me. He eyes the guys as Gregory's smile falls.

"So it is you, Cartman?" Gregory lifts his eyebrow.

"What are you doing with Y/N?" Cartman folds his arms. "Trying to pick up chicks?" Gregory rolls his eyes at Cartman's unprovoked taunts.

"Not at all. I'm from a prestigious school, I don't need to stoop as low as ' _picking up chicks'_ like boys from South Park High might. I can simply win women's favor by speaking to them like a human being, unlike you, boy." He grins, cockily. "It appears Miss Y/N is popular." He chuckles, amused by the second intruder.

"Weak." Cartman frowns at them. "Don't flirt with this one, she's off limits."

"Says who?" Gregory raises his eyebrow.

"Says me and you will respect my authoritah!" Cartman raises his voice, pointing to himself with his thumb. I raise my hand, shielding my face from the second hand embarrassment.

"Miss Y/N, let's have lunch, on me, the next time we meet." Gregory ignores him as he speaks to me with a smile. "It's a shame we couldn't get to know one another, today."

"O-okay!"

" _Sheet_ , just our luck. Ze Fatass had to show up. I knew ze bitch God was playing another game. Let's eat somewhere else." The Mole glances at me, before walking off.

"Perhaps, our paths will cross again Y/N." Gregory says farewell to me as he walks after the Mole.

"Super weak. People keep showing up, one after another, around you. You must've stepped in shit since you're always attracting flies." Cartman grumbles next to me. "You don't need to make more friends, you already have us."

"Jealous?" I tease him, making him scoff.

"Hell no." He walks off.

"Where are you going?"

"Going to take a shit." He waves me off, not turning back to me. I return to the guys as they laugh, suspiciously, among themselves.

"Thanks for watching my purse, Tweeki-khins." I sit next to him. "What did I miss?"

"GYA! Kenny and Clyde- ACK are pranking Cartman. They p-put hot sauce in his soda."

"What took you?" Stan asks me.

"She was talking to some guys." Craig speaks up, as everyone tunes into our conversation while eating.

"I ran into them once." I tell Stan, "a guy named Gregory and the Mole."

"What? Those guys?" He frowns. "That Gregory guy is just a self righteous asshole. " He pinches his eyebrows together.

"Kind of like you?" Craig smirks at him. Stan removes his hand to shoot a dirty look.

"Anyways, don't get too close to them. The dick might try to steal you away."

"From who?" I ask him.

"Just stay away from them. We do things different from them." Cartman says, walking back to his seat. Dovahkiin flips his phone to us.

Dovahkiin: Don't tell Y/N what to do.

"Yeah, don't tell me what I can or can't do." I smile after reading it.

"They aren't that bad." Scott says from across the table. "You, guys, get possessive when it comes to Y/N." Dovahkiin nods, agreeing with him. The guys gape their mouths in betrayal as if he just revealed something he shouldn't have. "Maybe I drank too much soda, must be the diabetes in me talking." He mumbles, taking another sip of soda, avoiding their eyes.

"Meh. They're not cool like us, anyways." Cartman says, grabbing his cup. They watch in anticipation as Butters nervously knocks his knuckles together.

"O-oh boy." The words escape from Butters' mouth. Cartman practically chugs his drink, before holding it in his mouth, contemplating the taste and dramatically spits it out. Everyone muffles their laughter while he wipes his mouth.

"Bleh! What the fuck was that?" He grabs Kyle by his sweater. "It was you, wasn't it, Kahl!"

"No, you asswipe!" Kyle laughs, pulling from his grip.

"Kinny!" Cartman fumes to the teen. Kenny and Clyde don't bother holding back their laughter anymore, and they slap the table. After we eat our fill and before the guys start disrupting business, we leave a generous tip to the girls and ask them to take a group picture of us. With Stan at the center, we all pose close together to fit into a shot inside the restaurant and the picture comes out beautifully. As we leave the place, I reach out to Scott.

"Scott, thank you for the paper and for helping me so much."

"Sure thing!" He smiles, cutely. "You're my friend."

"You're my friend too." I blush. "Thank you."

"Let's go Y/N." Stan calls out to me as the group splits into separate ways. Team Stan still wants to hang out, but since I'm getting tired, they drop me off home, with Kyle staying out with them. I arrive before my parents, giving me time to unwind, before they let me know about the good time they have as they come, laughing into the house, tipsy. Stan texts me while I'm in bed, asking if I want to hang out tomorrow night, just the two of us. There's something he wants to show me. I let him know that I'm free, and I fall asleep after scrolling through my phone, enjoying the many pictures I took of my friends today.

I wake up fairly early, compared to my parents, to do a quick grocery stop. I haven't had the chance to grocery shop for my two favorite McCormicks. When I arrive to Kenny's house, I give him a call.

"Hello?" His voice sound deep like Mysterion's, almost like he just woke up.

"Hi Ken!"

"Y/N," he breathes, "morning, beautiful."

"Ah!" I jump. "A rat ran by..."

"A rat? Wait, where are you?" I hear loud stomping and slamming, as Kenny rushes to open his front door. He's only wearing his torn jeans from last night and I scream at the hot shirtless Kenny. He winces, running a hand through his hair, waking up. "You did come! What are you doing? Your ankle barely healed, why are you carrying so much stuff?" He quickly pulls the groceries out of my hands as I follow him into the house.

"S-sorry to disturb you." I blush, watching his muscular back. "I should have texted first."

"It's fine, I'm happy you're here." He smiles at me. "I always wake up hungry, especially when I think about you." He playfully licks his lips, making me huff from embarrassment.

"It's too early for that...Is Karen here?"

"My parents and Karen went to visit family for the weekend." He yawns, placing everything on the counter. "I stayed home."

"I see." I help him put away the food, knowing where to put them, by now.

"So we have the place to ourselves." He winks at me.

"You!" I'm flustered, and step away from him, holding a box of cereal between us.

"Okay, I'll stop teasing ya." He grabs the cereal out of my hand, putting it in the cupboard.

"What did you and the guys end up doing, last night?" 

"We went to graffiti some walls." He says nonchalant, taking a bite out of an apple I just bought.

"What? That's illegal!"

"That's why we did it without you." He chuckles, "we knew you wouldn't like it."

"I can imagine Cartman but the rest of you? Kyle too?"

"Yeah. I'm happy you think so nice of me, Princess." He puts a hand on his bare chest, making my eyes trail to his exposed skin. "You can look at my body as much as you want."

"Dumb Ken," I avert my eyes to a random stain on the wall.

"Thanks for always feeding us. It means a lot. Are you sure it's not too much for you?" He asks, dropping his flirtatious act. Kenny is funny and playful, but I always felt like he does it to cheer himself up or others around him, after everything he's been through. He flirts with me one moment, but then, he gets serious the next. Sometimes, I can't follow his train of thought, and I catch him deep in thought like he's thinking about something, I wouldn't be able to understand.

"No, I'm happy I can, at least, do this much for you." I smile to myself as he tosses his apple core after finishing it in big bites, brushing his hands together.

"Don't push yourself too hard."

"I won't."

"So, do you want to walk or should I carry you to my bedroom?"

"Kenny!"

I head home after evading a hug from the shirtless Kenny. I need to get ready for the movies at noon.

"Ky, are you ready?" I shout out my window in excitement after I'm done.

"I been ready, I was waiting on you!" He shouts back. I double check my outfit with my red scarf, a brown pleated dress. brown boots, white knee high socks, and a beige button up cardigan that I leave unbuttoned. Kyle is waiting for me in his usual outfit with his signature green hat.

"We got an hour to get there, Token already got our tickets." I squeal, dragging Kyle by the arm to catch the bus.

"So...this is a double date?" Kyle asks as I look out the window.

"Not really," I laugh. "Nichole and Token are on a date, but we're like the third wheels." Kyle hums as he stares at my face. "What is it?"

"You look pretty today." He adjusts his hat. I see a red curl peeking out and I lightly pull on them.

"I wanted to look good," I smile.

"For who?"

"For me, and Nichole." I hum, "I guess for you too."

"Talk about mixed signals." He chuckles, making me feel confused. I just wanted to find a friend to join us so I could hang out with Nichole, today. One couple and one pair of friends are going to the movies.

_'Is this still not considered a date even though we're both single?'_

"I guess this is...kind of like a group date?" I blush from realization.

"Y-yeah," Kyle stutters in response.

"Oh." We sit, awkwardly, in silence.

"Well, we're just friends." Kyle says. "Friends can go on dates too. I think."

"Oh." I repeat myself, not quite sure.

"My mom was annoying the heck out of me this morning." He abruptly changes the subject, saving me.

"What did she do?"

"She's overbearing and gets riled up too easily."

"Oh?" 

Kyle gets angry easily too but only over Cartman.

"Ike has been on his computer too much for her liking. At least, he's home safe instead of running around doing something bad, without parental supervision."

"Like you and the gang?" I laugh, making him sigh.

"Exactly. He's a good kid."

"So are you."

"I admit we get ourselves into all kinds of crazy situations. I'm not sure why."

"Maybe, because we're in South Park. Craig insists it's you, guys, that are the heart of it, though."

"He would," Kyle huffs. We get off the bus and stroll to the theater, where Nichole and Token are waiting.

"Token! Nichole!" I shout, running up to her before giving her a great big hug. "Thank you so much for helping me over the Wendy drama." Refusing to let go, I gently swing her.

"Don't squeeze Nichole to death." Token warns me with a light chuckle.

"Okay, okay, too hard." She wiggles away. "You're welcome Y/N. I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you." Her hair is braided into a low ponytail instead of her usual higher one. She's wearing violet skinny jeans with a cute yellow sweater. She looks gorgeous.

"You're so pretty!" I gush with sparkles in my eyes. "Thanks for letting me date her today, Token."

"No problem, bring her back before ten." He says, handing me and Kyle our tickets. After we head inside, Kyle and I offer to pay for Nichole and Token's snacks and beverages, since they bought the tickets. When we find our seats in the dark theater, I gasp in amazement from the spacious comfortable seats. They even have a button for reclining as I play with it, sitting between Nichole and Kyle while Token sits besides Nichole. We laugh at the advertisements as Kyle offers to share his popcorn which I happily accept. I only bought myself a drink, since food and drinks are ridiculously expensive in theaters. I beat myself in the head for not sneaking in some candy in my pockets.

"I don't know what kind of movie this is." I confess to them over the loudspeakers.

"You didn't look it up?" Nichole questions.

"I want to surprise myself." I admit, making her smile.

"I'm sure you'll love it." She smiles with a cunning look in her eyes. I lose myself in the movie as the plot draws me into its immersive world about a family moving to a new town. I sympathize with the family as they meet their strange new neighbors who warn them about the strange happenings that happen around town. My suspicions come to fruition as I scream, almost slapping Kyle's popcorn out of his hands. 

_'It's a horror film!'_

Token and Nichole laugh from my reaction and the scenes. They lean into each other, discussing the plot. It soon becomes apparent that they see it as a comedy. Kyle stays relaxed, while grinning at me in the dark, from my overreactions.

"Is it that scary?" He leans close so I can hear. My ear heats up from where he spoke, but before I can respond, another jump scare has me clenching the arm rests of my seat. I cover my eyes at an intense scene and the impending music makes me cower behind my hands, facing Kyle. "Just see it as actors and actresses," he quietly comforts me at the silent scenes. I nod, before flinging my arms in front of me, when a ghastly creature pops out. As I shut my eyes, I feel something warm gets placed on my head.

"Here." I peek at Kyle who adjusts his green hat over my ears. "Remember, it's only props, make up, and cgi. It won't hurt you." He smiles warmly at me, as my already pounding heart beats even faster. I'm glad it's dark or he might see me blushing. Sometime during the movie, Nichole sighs, telling us she can't hold it in anymore. She needs to use the restroom now. I happily join her as she smiles from my obvious eagerness.

"You're not good with scary movies?" She laughs when we leave the room. I nod, hoping I'm not sweating too obviously. "Sorry, I didn't know. I would have chosen a different movie."

"No, it's all good. The plot is interesting. It's those stupid jump scares!"

"Token and I find these movies funny so we always joke about it." She tells me. "We can't take it seriously."

"You two are so cute together!" I tell her as we reach the restroom. While we're washing our hands she points to my hat.

"I see you're wearing Kyle's hat," she teases me, suspiciously eyeing me. "Are you two dating?"

"No, we're not!" I tell her, flabbergasted. "He's my neighbor so I invited him." She continues staring at me and laughs.

"You two would be cute together. Actually, I think you would make a cute couple with almost any of the guys, but to be honest, you're too good for them."

"Not at all." I blush. 

"When I first moved here, I had a small crush on Kyle." She confesses, making me gasp.

"No way!"

"Yeah, and then the jerk Cartman, made everyone believe they were a gay couple, and set me and Token up because of the color of our skin." She shakes her head. "In the end, it worked out for Token and I. He's a wonderful boyfriend." She reminisces with a smile.

"Aww!" I cover my mouth, full of giddiness. "I can't believe Eric, seriously! Poor Kyle."

"Yeah," she giggles. "Sometimes, it's like he's crushing on Kyle."

"Oh my God! You think so too?"

"Lowkey, yep." She chuckles. "Is there anyone from the guys you have a crush on?"

"Huh? No way." I firmly deny. "They're my friends, my best friends. I would ne-" I stop myself from saying _never_. Kyle didn't like it when I said it at the amusement park, when referring to our future, and lately, I find the word off putting as well. "I don't want to date anyone, especially a friend."

"Why not?" She presses, curiously. She motions to fix my scarf and I nod, letting her undo it and wrapping it differently.

"It would end badly." I take in her beautiful appearance as her hands work their magic.

"Why are you so sure about that?"

"Because I'm me. I know it will."

"You haven't even tried."

"Yeah, but I already know." I tell her.

"You're surprisingly stubborn," she grins at me. "No wonder they're nuts about you."

"Who?" I tilt my head.

"They have it rough." She speaks out loud to herself. "Let's go back, before we miss anything important." I gulp, making her laugh. Token and Nichole continue to laugh throughout the rest of the movie, as Kyle checks to make sure I'm not too scared out of my wits. By the end, I'm peeking between my fingers, as they stand up, stretching from their seats.

"How about lunch?" Token checks the time on his phone.

"Sure, where do you have in mind?" Kyle responds.

"KFC?" Token shrugs.

"No, Fatass will smell the KFC a mile away." Kyle jokes. "He'll hunt us down."

"He'll already be there when we arrive, but still try to steal our food." Nichole says, making them laugh.

"Let's hit City Wok." Token offers to drive all of us there. 

"How did you like the movie, Y/N?" He asks as he drives. Nichole and Kyle start to smile, before I say anything.

"It was g-great." My voice cracks, betraying me. "No, I liked the story and that actress is stunning to watch, but oh my God.... Why did they show both monsters _and_ ghosts? I thought it was just a monster, and then the people ended up being worse than the monsters!" I passionately express, waving my hands. Kyle laughs, combing his hair with his fingers, making me remember his warm hat over my head. I'm going to keep it for now, since it's warm and smells good.

"You're cute." Nichole giggles from her seat, turning her head to me. "Unfortunately, she's kind of oblivious huh?" The guys hum in agreement before Token mutters under his breath, annoyed, by a rude driver who cuts him off.

"Thanks for inviting us out." I tell them.

"We should have a girl night. Oh! Do you want to join me for a slumber party, next weekend?" She asks and I practically throw myself, out of the running car door, out of happiness.

"Yes!" I happily shout. She smiles at my excitement and Token pulls up to the restaurant. 

"Herro! Wercome to Shitty Wok, take your order prea." The man at the counter says. Everyone casually orders as I try to make up my mind. The man basically orders for me, and it happens so fast that by the time I register what has happened, the transaction is complete and he hands me my food. At least, the food is good. I notice Token and Nichole are basically best friends, but they didn't show any public displays of affection, and I chalked it up to them being polite to not make Kyle and I uncomfortable.

"When are you going to give me back my hat?" Kyle asks me.

"When Tweek stops drinking coffee." I smirk.

"So never?"

"Only if you read your fortune cookie." I motion to his untouched cookie. He cracks his open.

"You will learn something new today." He reads as we all break our cookies open. "I bet he printed this, himself."

Nichole reads hers, "your life will change for the better, once you make the right choices."

"You will become someone of greatness." Token grins, pleased with his fortune.

"Both of yours is obvious." I read mines out loud ,"you will buy more City Wok." I crumple mines, dropping it onto the tray.

"You got an advertisement" Kyle laughs.

"Da paper neber ries." Mr. Kim says as he mysteriously passes by. Token and Nichole drop us home before sundown. We thank them for fun day and Nichole tells me, she will give me details about the slumber party later in the week.

"Oh yeah" I take off Kyle's hat as he walks me up to my door. I raise my arms, placing it on his head. "Perfecto!"

"Thanks for inviting me. We should do that again." Kyle states, brushing his hand lightly over my hair to fix it for me. "We can watch another movie or something."

"T-thanks." I take over the job for him. Kyle is very caring towards me. "As long as it's not super scary, like that movie, I'm down."

"Next time, we go on a date," Kyle takes a step off my doorstep so we are at eye level, "on a _real_ one, it'll be just the two of us. Okay?" He grins at me before walking away, leaving me speechless.


	39. New Lights

Stan: I’m here.

Me: On my way.

I didn’t bother changing my clothes after the movies. Stan is here to pick me up and I barely finished doing all of my homework. I open the front door to see Stan in his dad’s car. He gives me a light wave from the driver’s seat with his other hand gripping the wheel. I run up to the side of the car, sitting in the passenger seat next to him.

”Nice! Your dad let you borrow his car?”

”Yeah.” He smirks, taping his fingers on the wheel. “Buckle in.” I sling the seat belt on, almost forgetting only because I’m too busy marveling at him.

”You look kind of manly.” I giggle, “I’m not used to seeing any of you driving, besides Token."

”Most of us already have our license, but we all knew how to drive since we were kids.”

”Gasp, you bad boys!” I laugh, snapping a picture of him with my phone, for memories.

”We just don’t have a car.” 

”Someday." I wiggle in my seat excited. "So, where are we going?”

”Secret.” He chuckles, leaning an elbow out his open window.

”Yesterday, and today, has been so fun.” I play with the radio, hoping to find a good song. "And now, Stan the man, is surprising me with a plan!" I lamely rhyme.

”What have you been up to?”

”Let's see...I went to say hi to Ken and Karen at their house, but only Ken was home. Then I saw a scary movie with Token, his girlfriend, and Kyle.” I happily mention to him.

”You went with Kyle?” He asks, not taking his eyes off the road.

”Yep, he picked me up.” I inform and he hums in response. I share my opinion about the scary movie we saw, which only makes him interested in seeing it too. Stan nods while I rattle on about random things while stealing glances at me. "You're a great listener, sorry, if I'm boring you."

"Don't be, I like hearing you talk." He beams at me. "It's a nice change from Fatass' constant whining, Kyle yelling at him, and Kenny saying gross shit." Stan parks the car near a wooded area, I don’t recognize. The sun is beginning to set, giving the clouds in the sky a golden bright color. He motions for me to follow him into the woods, while expertly stepping over fallen leaves, rocks, and twigs. He knows where he is going. despite me thinking everything looks the same in this maze of trees.

”You want to show me something here?” 

”We’re almost there.” He assures me. holding out his hand so I don’t trip over a rocky area. I grab it, feeling thankful for having such helpful friends. Even though, they have been making me feel more comfortable touching them or being touched, I still feel my heart race whenever it happens. I try not to let it show though or they might tease me about it. The cold is actually a blessing in disguise, since it keeps me from sweating from my palms. I like that the guys welcome me so openly.

”You’re not taking me through these woods to kill me, are you?” I tease him.

”Was I too obvious?” He chuckles and I pretend to pull away.

“You sure know your way around. I would get lost, especially when it's dark."

”South Park isn’t that big, but not everyone adventures around like we do.”

”Yeah. I’m happy you’re back. It’s like a missing piece of a puzzle. I need all of you.” I say to him as I begin to swing his arm. He smiles back to me, telling me to watch my feet. Once we reach a clearing, he stops and turns to me with a smile.

”I wanted to show you this.” He speaks, beckoning me to the clearing. It’s an area with a hidden pond, and tall overgrown plants, flourishing at the edges. I pull some plants to the side to bend down, peeking into the water, and noticing tiny fish in the water.

“This place is so pretty." I admire out loud, watching the fish poke at my reflection.

”Wait for it,” he smiles, looking out past the water into the sky. I’m not sure what we are waiting for, but I’m enjoying this tranquil area. He maintains a strong gaze beyond the pond and the trees, watching the setting sun.

“Is this your secret hiding space?” 

“I haven't shown anyone this place yet, besides you.” He informs me, putting his hands into his pocket. “I found it by accident, when I went to clear my head after my old man and I had a fight.”

”Wow. I'm the first you shown your secret spot to? I feel honored.” I pull out a wheat, playfully brushing the bushy end on Stan’s pants, making him shake head. Moments later, when I'm trying to tickle his hand with it, I see something at the edge of my eye. A greenish yellow glow appears on top of the plants, and the water begins to glimmer as if the nearly setting sun is playing tricks on my eyes. The bright glow fades in and outs making me blink in response.

”This is what I want to show you.” He bends down next to me as many tiny lights appear around the small pond around us. I quietly gasp, taking in the new view of the glowing creatures, flowing in the air around the water. “They usually only appear around this time.” Stan says with a calm smile. “I wanted to show you, no matter what.” I gape my mouth in awe.

“The setting sun already made this place look so pretty, but now that it's almost night...wow. It’s so beautiful, Stan!” I gush, reaching for the floating lights that drift away above us. The lightning bugs glow upwards to the darkening sky almost like reverse snowflakes. This is something I never saw back in the city I lived in. The moon begins to reflect on the surface of the water, giving the pond an luminescent serene appearance. It'a a mysterious sight to behold. I turn to Stan who happens to already be looking at me. The lights must be reflecting in my eyes like they are in his blue ones.

"Thank you." He smiles before I can say anything to break the silence.

"For what?"

"You saw me, when I looked like crap, and didn't judge me for it. Your support helped me so much, when I was away." A bug flies across our face but he doesn't break eye contact. "I didn't get to properly thank you yet."

"It was nothing!" I wave my hands in front of me, feeling embarrassed. "I'm sure anyone, Kyle, would have done the same!"

"No," he looks away, "I think Wendy figured out I'm an alcoholic, but she didn't care enough to do anything."

"Well, Wendy is a different story."

"I hate that I was with her, after what she did to you." He turns away towards the water. "I should have been there, the day, you got hurt by her. If she wasn't my ex girlfriend, none of that North Park bullshit would have happened. Makes me fucking sick to my stomach, when I think about it."

"We can't change the past." I grab the sleeve of his brown jacket to comfort him. "I'm just glad you're here with me, right now, at this moment." I gaze at the now moonlit pond. "I don't know how you feel about everything right now, but you're you today because of everyone you met and what you've been through, whether it's Wendy, or the alcohol, or seeing shit everywhere. I would have never seen this place if you aren't the Stan you are right now. I won't forget seeing this beautiful thing you're sharing with me." Stan contemplates my words, while looking at the water, before lifting his gaze upwards.

"You're right. She's my past, but not my future. I want to spend moments, like this, with the ones who matter." He looks at me as he speaks. "I'm happy it's you I called that night." I can't contain my happiness and I break out into a wide smile.

"Me too! It's thanks to that, we got to become closer. Even though, you woke me up, feel free to do that again." I laugh.

"You too. If you ever need me, call me even if it's at three am in the morning." He leans in closer to my face. "I'll pick up the phone no matter what." I blush, quickly turning away. Stan brushes a glowing bug that lands on my shoulder.

"I'll call you." I mutter as he stands up. I look up at him while a cold breeze blows his black bangs under his beanie. Even in the darkness, with only the glowing bugs and the half moon, I could still make out his handsome features. He looks down to look at me in silence.

”Thank you for bringing me here, Stan."

”I wanted to let you know, that you were right, when you said it isn't all shit. My memories aren't shit.”

"Does everything still look like shit to you?" I nervously ask him.

"Not everything, well, not everyone. " He chuckles “You're not shit. I’m glad you came to South Park.” My heart bounces with the rhythm of the lights that are fluttering in and out.

”I’m glad I came to South Park too. You’re not shit either.” I giggle, earning a big smile from him.

Stan leads us through the woods by the light of the moon. He holds my hand so I don't fall from an unforeseen obstacle. We don't turn on the radio in the car, still high from the lights we have seen. As I unbuckle my seat belt, Stan reaches out his hand, ruffling my hair on top of my head.

"Thanks Y/N. Call me anytime."

The next morning, I wake up with an epiphany. I should bake everyone _thank you_ cookies. Unfortunately, I have to to do it tomorrow, since I don't have any supplies. I will buy the ingredients after school. I need to keep it a secret so it could be a pleasant surprise to everyone that helped me so far.

I hum to myself, feeling good while preparing lunch for Kenny and I. Even though my parents are here and could drive me to school, I still like to go to school with Kyle and the gang. My parents won't be here tonight so I give them each a kiss before leaving the house. Kyle is already waiting for me near the street.

"Hey." He says, smiling.

"Hi Ky." I can't even look him in the eyes. "Let's go." I walk off, before him, to the bus stop.

"Y/N."

_'For some reason, I feel embarrassed.'_

"Y/N."

_'I'm sure he was just joking, it's not like he actually wants to go on a date with me.'_

"Y/N!" Kyle grabs my hand from behind forcing me to stop and look at him. "I called you like a hundred times." He chuckles. "What's up? You haven't looked me in the eyes." I slowly peek upward, taking in his shimmering emerald eyes, staring right at me. I feel a blush creep on my cheeks.

"I-it's because you said something weird like that, yesterday!" I defend myself, pulling my hand away.

"I said something? Oh..." He throws his arm over his shoulder. I give him a little peek to see him with red cheeks. He looks cute right now.

"Mmph!"

We see our friends from a distance, waving at us. Kenny, Cartman, and Stan are already at the bus stop. When I catch eyes with Kenny, my already warm cheeks heat up even more.

"Mmmph!" (Morning!)

"Hey guys." Kyle says.

"Good morning." I mumble. When I look at Stan, his lips forms a radiant smile.

_''My heart!'_

I hang my head to the ground. Kyle, Kenny, and Stan are making my heart pound so hard.

_'I hate them!'_

While I'm lost in thought, I finally notice the brown eyes staring right in front of me, inches from my face. "Ah!" I shout, stepping back from Cartman's close range. "E-Eric, what are you doing?" He straightens his legs, furrowing his eyes at me with a tight frown.

"Why is your face a different color?"

"My face...?" I peek at the guys beside us. Kyle nods with pink cheeks while looking away, Kenny nods under his hoodie where I can see his smiling eyes, and Stan nods, hiding his mouth with his hand. I avert my eyes to avoid eye contact.

"I saw Ken's abs yesterday!" I point to him, without looking at him. "It should be a sin to be that hot!" I cry and I hear his muffled laughter. Cartman continues frowning even as the bus pulls up. When the doors opens, he grabs my hand to lead us inside the bus, first.

"Hey Y/N!" Butters cheerfully waves to us. "Hey Eric!"

"Shut up, Butters." Cartman grumbles as we pass him and I wave hello.

"Good to see you too, fella!" Butters responds, not missing a beat. I notice the other students on the bus are acting friendlier. They smile at me and say hi as we walk, catching me by surprise. I guess people read Jimmy's paper over the weekend. Cartman chooses a seat for us at the back, making me sit at the window. He slugs himself next to me, folding his arms. I look at him, tilting my head in confusion. The guys choose their seats at the front of the bus. 

"What's up?" I ask him. He turns his head, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Yesterday." He simply states.

"Yesterday?"

"Yesterday, I was waiting for you to get online so you could join my team for a mission, but you didn't show up."

"Oh...I didn't get play any video games yesterday. I was busy all day."

"So I heard from the guys..." He scowls. "Kenny said you dropped by to give him groceries, and Stan said you went to the movies with Kyle and then he went to take you on a drive, last night." I nod, confirming what he heard.

"How come you don't do things with _me_?" He asks, looking offended.

"Huh? It just happens. I don't always plan what I'm going to do, unless someone invites me."

"Then-" he perks up, unfolding his arms, "do you want to do something with me, after school?"

"After school?" I think about how I'm planning to go to the store to buy the things I need for cookies. I don't want him to know about it, especially since he might demand more cookies than everyone else. "After school...I have to do something." He folds his arm again, looking away. "Tomorrow, we can do something?" I tell him, pulling on his jacket.

"Just say you don't want to hang with me. You like everyone else more than me, anyways." He huffs, not looking at me. He's being a brat right now.

"That's not true. I love all of you."

"Who do you love the most though? I bet it's not me." 

"What are you talking about? I don't particularly love any of you, more than the other." I tell him as he glances at me to confirm my expression.

"Hmm...I don't know if I should feel relieved or annoyed." He tells me, making me laugh from his odd behavior.

"So what do you want to do tomorrow?" I brainstorm.

"Anything. I just don't want the others to be there."

"Why?" I widen my eyes. "Oh..." I giggle behind my hand. "Eric wants me for himself, huh? Ericman is jealous? Are you feeling lonely?" I repeatedly poke his arm, enhancing my intentional annoying behavior. He blushes without saying a word, making me gasp. "You're not denying it!"

"This is stupid." He sighs. "What do _you_ want to do? And no lame suggestions."

"Umm...not sure." I look out the window. "Anything is fine with me."

"This is why you can't ask a chick anything, they can never decide."

"That's rude. You should hold off on the misogynistic comments. You're future girlfriend will hate it." I warn him. "Seriously, Cartman. You need to be nicer. I don't like what people say about you. You're my friend even if you are a racist, sexist jerk sometimes...most of the time."

"Don't try to change me."

"I'm not trying to change you, I just want you to be more considerate of others. It'll benefit you in the future too. You don't want your coworkers or bosses to hate you."

"I'm going to be the boss, anyways, so it won't matter."

"Actually, I can see that." I laugh, imagining the future. "Anyways, you need to learn some politeness, tact, and consideration." I scold him.

"We can play board games tomorrow." He ignores my earlier comments, "I have some decent two player games." He recommends, making me sit up in excitement.

"Nice! I love board games."

"You do? We have board game nights at Stan's sometimes."

"What? No one ever told me." I pout.

"Bitch, you never asked."

"Don't call me a Bitch, Bitch."

"Bitch." He sticks out his tongue.

"Bitch." I childishly stick mines out. "It seems like you, guys, do everything. Anything there is to do, you all have already done it."

"We have a life, unlike some people." He gives me an unnecessary smug look.

"Fangirling _is_ life. Don't test me." I poke him hard. "I happen to know you, guys, are up to no good, sometimes." He rolls his eyes with a smirk.

"Okay, then it's settled. Tomorrow, after school, we'll play board games at my house."

" _Kewl_." I say making him grin.

"No one else is invited, especially if they are Jew."

"Isn't Kyle the only Jewish person you know, besides his family?

"No Jews." He emphasizes glaring at the back of Kyle's head. I can see Kyle shiver from a distance possibly sensing Cartman's unwanted attention.

Once we walk into school, the change in attitude from the students towards me, becomes apparent. Everyone is definitely treating me nicer. They smile at me and say hello, as I walk by. One student stops me to call me a hero, before walking away. I ask the guys why everyone is acting different, and they conclude it must be because of Jimmy's paper. Obviously, everyone has read it, especially since they all forwarded everyone links to it, even those who weren't related to the school. I feel a wave of relief, knowing everyone knows of my innocence from the rumors and accusations, however, it's a little uncomfortable, how quickly they went from against me to supporting me. They probably feel bad about what I had to go through, but the attention, whether good or bad, isn't something I'm used to.

I leave the gang to get something from my locker. Tweek is waiting for me at my locker and I run to say hi to him, reaching out my hands to fix his poorly buttoned up shirt.

"I'm getting my morning dose of Tweeki-khins." I sing to myself while he flinches and twitches.

"M-morning Y/N. The pressure!" He blushes as I do my thing.

"How's my favorite barista?" I ask, noticing he has his hands behind his back. He pulls out a paper bag, handing it to me.

"A p-present! GYA!" His cheeks are red, and he blinks each of his eyes, separately and quickly.

"What is it?" My eyes sparkles, wanting to tear the bag open, but thankfully, he placed a sticker to seal it.

"Y-you should k-keep- ACK it away from Cartman, he might- GYA try to steal it."

"Is it something sweet?" I practically jump in excitement, trying to sniff it.

"M-maybe-"

I practically tackle him into a hug and he yelps.

"Oh my gosh! Thank you! What is the occasion?" I smile, hugging him tight. When I open my eyes, Craig flips me off from down the hall, next to Clyde, Token, and Jimmy.

"Why did you run off, Tweek?" Clyde shouts. "Hey! Y/N is hugging him!" He's loud even this early in the morning.

"I'll tell you later." He whispers to me, and leaves towards the others. I happily smile at the unexpected gift, opening my locker to place it inside so Cartman can't steal it. When I get to class, I give Jimmy a big hug as the others stare in confusion.

"Thank you God for giving me Jimmy!" I publically hug him and he chuckles with a blush from embarrassment.

"You finally c-caught f-f-f-f-feelings for me, babe?"

"The paper! Thank you so much, Jimmy!"

During lunch, I sneak off from the lunch table to give some friends of mine a visit. I dramatically open the door, hoping no one is behind it.

"Goth Baes!" I screech while checking if they are even behind the school building. Fortunately, they are, so my loud entrance doesn't go to waste.

"Please no." Henrietta says as I saunter up to them, exaggeratedly swinging my arms. They are sitting around, listening to some chill Goth music. "I wanted peace and quiet."

"Goth baes!" I giggle, standing in front of them.

"What do you want?" Pete asks, flipping his black bangs.

"She's being creepier than usual." Firkle pierces his lips together, watching me.

"Can I hit her with my cane? Will that make her go away?" Michael teases with a lazy grin.

"I wanted to tell you guys, I love you." I shyly confess, making them drop their cigarettes, except for Michael who manages to catch it in the nick of time.


	40. New Sweets

“Oh Lord.” Henrietta face palms with a slight grin.

”Now, she’ll never leave us.” Firkle looks mildly disturbed, a different look from his usual hardened stare.

“Cthulhu, why are we being punished?” Pete audibly groans.

"Cigarettes don't grow on trees, Y/N, if they did I would live in the jungle just to get away from you." Michael jokes, tapping his cane. "Why are you being weirder than usual?"

“Thank you so much for helping clear my name and I thought you all said I'm just a dumb conformist. Who knew that was code for ' _we care about you Y/N'?_ " I tease them, while giving them googly eyes. Firkle sits up, scooting in the opposite direction of me. "I'm a conformist but like...I'm _your_ conformist, right?" I continue to flatter myself as they look at me with mixed expressions of amusement and disgust.

"Is it too late to unfriend the wannabe cheerleader?" Michael smokes his lit cigarette.

"If we could, I would have already done so." Pete flips his hair. Henrietta turns up the Goth music, hoping to drown out my giddy wheezing.

"You may run Goth baes, but you can't hide...from my love." I wink at them, making them roll their eyes.

"Fuck, I think I'm going to hurl." Henrietta quickly takes out a cigarette as if the taste is already in her mouth. I sigh, lovingly at them, secretly enjoying my own sadistic teasing. I crouch in front of Pete, patting his arm. "By the way, how is your arm? Did it heal okay? Is it scarred?"

"No, mom, I'm fine." He flips his hair from his eye, without blinking. I sigh with relief.

"Phew. If you were a princess and these were the olden days, I would have had to marry you since scars made it so that women couldn’t get married."

"Marry you? I would rather gouge my eyes out." He grins. 

"So romantic." I playfully hit his arm. "I'm going to go now. All of your sweet talk is sweeping me off my feet. Bye Goth Baes!" I blow them a kiss while leaving them. I hum to myself, feeling good. Today is such a nice start of the school week, I feel like nothing can bring me down. I change my usual route to grab a book from the library, I need me some good romance story. Now I'm not hesitant to walk down the halls by myself, since no one is gossiping about me or shooting me random judgmental looks.

In the library, I scan the romance section while randomly reminiscing about a certain blue hat teen. Craig is better than a ladder, he can reach these books easy. Picking out a book, I smile to myself, making my way past the supernatural section. I notice a familiar tall teen with black hair with a vampire aesthetic. "Vampir!" I loudly whisper. The teen turns to me, holding a novel with a bat on the cover.

"Y/N? How do you do?" He whispers with a, fang burdened, hiss.

"I'm good, have you decided to join us, humans, on the bright side?"

"My nocturnal species have learned the skills to adapt to these sun cursed areas.” He smiles a little too friendly for a supposed creature of the night. He really takes this vampire role play seriously. “We no longer cower in fear of the sun’s rays, per se.”

"I must warn you, I know some people that want your race to go extinct."

"The Goths?" He chuckles behind his hand, covering his pointy fangs. "We're not worried about them. Hot Topic has an online store." I muffle a laugh at his unexpected statement and my farewell. I head back down the halls to rejoin my boys. A crash, from behind a classroom door, makes me jump and I cautiously step closer to the door, curious about the noise. A chorus of voices, I don't recognize can be heard including the sound of a girl sounding like she's in pain. I crack the door, peeking in to find a crowd of students, hovering over a teen girl on the floor.

"What are you all doing?" I shout in bewilderment, slamming the door open. The students tense up, but their tension dissipates when they see it's only me.

"It's Y/N." A unfamiliar student exclaims.

"That's Y/N?" Someone asks.

The group walks towards me wearing strange smiles on their faces. One of the students opens his arms to approach me in a gesture of friendliness. "Hi Y/N. We read the school news. We can't believe that Wendy would make those girls lie about you attacking them and claim you were bullying her." He shakes his head, holding a disappointed expression, but somehow it feels insincere. "She even said she did all the school work you both did. How low can she go. huh?”

"What's that got to do with what you are doing?" I spit as they close the door behind me. Wendy is on the ground with her hands and knees on the floor as if she was being beaten down.

"We're just giving her a taste of her own medicine." A teen girl smugly glances at her. "We're punishing her for you."

"She deserves it after everything she's done." The group snickers while looking over Wendy's pitiful form. She glares at all of them, including me.

"Take revenge. We won’t snitch." The students encourage me, trying to involve me in their scheme. “Who is going to believe a liar?”

"Girl who cried wolf." They cackle with each other, peering down at their once idolized model student. I approach her while she snarls her teeth at me. A student hands me a broom in an attempt to be helpful. Reaching out my hand, I grab it without looking at them, stopping right in front of her. Her angry eyes peek at me from beneath her strands of black hair and I take a deep breathe. I turn around, wielding the broom before me pointing it at the group.

"If you don't stop it right now," I loudly speak in my most affirmative tone, "I'm going to scream for the teachers!"

"What the fuck is your problem?" A teen boy steps forward, defensively raising his arms. "She's a bully!"

"You're doing the exact same thing as her, but acting like it’s for me!" I slam the broom hard against the wall behind her. startling everyone. even Wendy. “I’m not going to be your excuse.”

”This is lame, so ungrateful.” Someone speaks out, seeking validation.

"Leave Goddammit! You will respect my mother fuckin authoritah!" I yell, throwing a fit with the broom. They back up before leaving the room after each other, no longer seeing the benefit in staying near a unpredictable peer who is flailing a broom. I huff when they leave, grumbling under their breaths. The empty room stands still with only the two of us. Turning to her, I catch her looking down with her black hair over her face. Bending down to her, I lay down the broom. "Are you okay?" She lifts her head looking absolutely furious. She pushes me and I fall on my butt. She pushes me again, throwing me to the ground with her body on top of me.

"Why did you do that?" She seethes, burning her eyes into mines. "You think you're better than me?"

"No." I tell her, honestly.

"Then why did you do that? I hate you!" She screams at me, not giving me a chance to talk. "Those people are going to be sorry for messing with me, I didn't need your help!"

"I don't care if you hate me! I hate that kind of thing!" I defend myself, struggling under her frantic grip over my shoulders.

"That's how it is! People always bully the weak! Too bad, I’m not weak. I’m getting my revenge now that I know all of their faces.” Her malicious grin makes a shiver creep up my spine. She looks excited. "Bullying never stops, only the target."

"Are you talking about yourself? Since you can't bully me, you're going to find someone new?" I ask, wanting to know so I can stop her. “Are you _their_ new target or are they _your_ new target?”

"It's how the world works. Grow the fuck up, Y/N." She stands up from me, composing herself.

"Wait!" I sit up, rubbing my shoulders. "You should stop before someone gets hurt.”

"You should worry about yourself." A shallow smile is fixed on her lips "I'm willing to bet I'm not the only one who hates you." She confidently declares before leaving the room.

"I know." I state to no one in particular.

  
I take the gift, Tweek gave me, out of my locker before heading home with Butters. I didn't have a chance to ask about the gift, since Tweek didn't seem to want to mention it in front of the guys. Team Stan has to stay after school to practice sports so it’s just me and him. I tell the Blond about my random weekend and about the book I borrowed from the library. I decide not to mention anything about Wendy, since the guys are content about the conclusion to the debacle.

The drama affected everyone and I don't want it to plague their mind, now that they proved my innocence, and the strange behavior from others towards me is no longer hostile, especially from females. Butters must have taken my suffering too hard, since he still asks if I’m okay. He's not a hundred percent back to his usual happy go lucky self. He always seems a little preoccupied in his thoughts. Hopefully, he can relax now that things have calmed down.

When I get home, I finish all my school work and chores, before heading out to the store. I carry my pepper spray, now that all that has happened to me in South Park, has left me slightly paranoid and extra careful. I buy all the necessary ingredients needed to make cookies from scratch, but I can't seem to find the right package to gift them in. A clear bag that I can tie with a ribbon would be a nice vessel for my gift. I decide to make another trip to another store a bit farther away, just to have everything ready. Luckily, the store has exactly what I need and I hop off with everything in my reusable bags.

As I pass by an alley, a familiar voice stops me in my tracks. Someone groans from the alley, making me stop to listen. Just in case, I place my hand into my pocket over my pepper spray. A hunched figure emerges before falling over, knocking down a trash can. The loud clang causes me to flinch and I cautiously approach the figure. I silently pray for it to not to be a South Park drug addict, creep, or criminal, like last time. I notice their red hair before anything else.

"That fucking hurt." The teen mutters.

“Pete?” I shout, almost dropping all my bags. I run over to him, placing them down as I hover my hands over him, checking his status. He peeks at me from beneath his bangs, propping himself against the outdoor wall.

“Y/N? What-" he coughs, "are you doing here?”

“Oh my God, you’re hurt!”

His knuckles and a bit of his clothes are bloody. He has bruises on his cheeks.

“Who did this to you?” I grab his arm, slinging it around my neck, before falling to my knee from his weight. I’m not strong enough to carry him on my own, since he’s not trying to stand up either. “I’ll be right back!” I run as fast as I can to the store I emerged from. I grab band aids, disinfectants, bandages, pain killers, and blinding collect as many things as I can carry, before dropping it on the counter. The cashier rings them up, not caring that I'm a hurry. Once I pay for them, I throw my cash on the counter, not bothering to wait for my change as I head back to Pete.

“Pete! ” I shout, bending next to him. "Pete!"

“You don’t have to yell, I’m not dead.” He huffs, tilting his ear away. I clean his wounds on his knuckles and face, invading his personal space without permission.

"Sorry but we need to fix you up." I tell him, while bandaging him up. I hand him some pain killers and a water bottle.

"You bought too much stuff." He randomly scolds me. "It's not that serious."

"What happened?" I ask him, not caring whether it's my business or not.

"Had to fight some losers that were begging for a fight."

"Did you have to fight them?"

"Yeah, since I'm not a little bitch." He slightly smirks at me. I frown at his smug response. "If someone wants a fight, I'll give them one."

"Why? You got hurt."

"I don't give a fuck. Life is about fighting battles, especially if I know I'll win."

"You need to be more careful. I don't want you to get hurt, worse than you already did."

"Okay mom." He responds, making me tighten my lips in displeasure. That's the second time he's called me mom, today.

"You saved me, when I was in trouble and got stabbed. I'm not happy you're still getting hurt. Stay out of trouble."

"I don’t look for it, trouble finds me. It annoys the fuck out of me when people label us, Goths, as something we're not. We're not emos, vampires, or Satan worshipers. Have you met him? He's not as scary as you would think." He says as if he knows as a fact.

"Let them talk, they're not worth it." I advise him, but it looks like it falls on stubborn ears.

"You don't get it. It sucks when people call you something you're not." He exhales, patting his pockets for something. He pulls out a cigarette and a lighter.

"Hello? You're talking to the number one supposed bully of South Park High."

"That's not what I mean." He throws his head back, looking up. "When people mistake anyone for something, or someone, they aren't, it makes them mad. I brush it off, but not when they insult Henrietta, Firkle, or Michael. I'll make them eat shit."

"I knew you're just a softie." I smile at him and he ignores me.

"You got your name cleared, but not us. There's people who don't understand us and don't care enough to try. They'll judge us, just for being different, and harass us for not conforming to their lame social norms. They’re so shitty, they can’t leave us alone." He looks at me as I put everything away after patching him up. "Thanks."

"Anytime." I smile at him, "just be careful. I would be sad if something worse happened, especially if you keep getting into fights."

"Only once in a while." He flips his hair. "It's no different from your other friends doing stupid shit.”

"About that, are you going to introduce your friend or what?" I motion to the fallen trash can. "I can relate, I’m also trash for you, Goth baes." I chuckle while he flips his bangs. Someday, I will get him a hair clip since it may enhance his cuteness.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He lifts his eyebrow. I shake my thoughts away with a scheming smile. He stands up, patting his clothes. “I just needed to catch my breath, I’m not that hurt.”

"Will you be okay, going home on your own?" I ask him with concern.

"I should be asking you that," he laughs.

"I'm not the one who is hurt."

"You really are weird." He flips his hair with the cigarette between his teeth.

"And I understand what you mean about not being understood. I feel that way too."

"You? I doubt it." He blows smoke, not noticing my disappointment to his response. I reach down to pick up my bags. 

"I'm glad I could help you. If you're ever too far from Henrietta, I can nurse you back to health. I have all these supplies." I wiggle the bag at him. The corner of his lips curve upward as we part for the night. I think about what Pete said, not noticing a looming presence nearby me, until I hear them.

"What are you doing?" The voice is deep.

"Aaah!" I scream, and then stop. It's my favorite hero, Mysterion. "Oh Mysterion. It’s just you, you scared me." 

"You shouldn't be out by yourself at night." He frowns at me.

"I had to buy some stuff."

"I'll take you home."

"It's okay, it's not that far."

"You need to be more careful." He scans the area, taking my bags off my hands. The wind blows his cape and I watch the question mark on his head bounce from behind. "You already got hurt twice now and you still come out by yourself. Do I need to guard you or something? You’re too defenseless." He's basically talking to himself out loud since I don't respond.

"I'm okay, right now." I interrupt his grumbling. "You're here." I smile when he turns his head to me before turning his face forward.

"I don't want you to get hurt again."

"Thank you."

"You only live one life, Y/N. Be more careful."

"You don't have to worry so much." I try to reassure him, he seems to be working himself up.

"I will, because it's you. You're life is important."

"So is yours, but I'm not lecturing you about being a superhero, even though I think it's dangerous."

"It's not the same thing."

"You're life is more important than mines. People need you and you help save them like you did for me." I run up to catch up to him by his side. He turns to me with a serious gaze, not giving me his usual easy going expression. I have come to recognize his current behavior as a part of his real self and not just as his superhero persona.

"Don't say stuff like that, Princess, I'm just a knight." He smiles at me with his lips but not his eyes.

"Kenny?" His name accidentally slips from my mouth.

"Careful." He simply warns me.

"I'm not a Princess." I grab my bags back from him, "beside,s even if you're my knight in shining armor, you need to value your life as much as mines. I can't be a Princess without a knight." I laugh.

"So you admit, I'm your knight." He smirks like the Kenny I know without the mask.

"You don’t want to be my Prince Charming?"

"I'm no silver spoon, I'll fight for you."

"I like that more, actually." I giggle, happy he's not acting too differently. "But I don't want to be the only one being protected, I'll fight for you too, K-Mysterion."

"I rather you didn't." He chuckles and I lean closer to him while we walk.

"Princess Kenny." I whisper with a mischievous grin. He chuckles in return. When we're close to my house, I whisper to him to say hi to Karen for me. "See you later, t _he Dark Knight who isn't Batman_ aka Mysterion." I tease and he silently runs off. When I get home and put everything away, I set my alarm clock early in the morning so I can make an obscene amount of cookies and package them. I open the brown paper bag from Tweek and see it is filled with homemade cupcakes. The taste is absolutely delicious and I smile to myself, imagining the cute shaky teen making me these meticulously prepared sweets.

At the bus stop, Cartman seems chirpier than usual. He beams at me when we make eye contact and I smile happy to see he is excited to play board games later. The guys give him questioning looks, but decide not to press for answers. I’m also oozing happiness, from not being able to hide my excitement, for the gifts I have in my backpack. I emptied it to fit all the small bags of star shaped cookies, and lunch for Kenny. Hopefully, everyone likes sweets. I’m going to gift them during lunch. I make sure not to stand too close to Cartman, since I’m suspicious he’s like a search hound when it comes to food.

During class, I pass a note to Tweek, telling him his cupcakes are the best I ever tasted. He smiles throughout class and I see him slide the note into his binder, instead of crumpling it to throw away.

Once lunch comes around, I join the gang at the tables, no longer able to contain my excitement. I unzip my backpack on the table as Kenny stares at me behind his hooded parka, trying not to appear too eager for his lunch.

”Stan.” I start with him. He perks up when I call him. “Catch!” I throw the bag at him, and his fast reflexes makes him catch it before he sees what it is.

”Cookies?” His eyes sparkle, looking at the star goodies in the clear bag tied with a ribbon.

”What?” Cartman shouts, looking from the cookies to me.

”I have one for all of you.” I sing, tossing one to Butters and everyone in Team Stan and Team Craig.

“What’s this for?” Token asks, smiling at me. Clyde puts it in both of his hands, dramatically lifting it into the air.

”Are these homemade cookies?” Clyde marvels in awe like it’s a precious treasure.

”From scratch! It’s a thank you gift.” I smile, feeling pleased by their reactions. “Thank you for everything. I bought the stuff after school and woke up early to make them.”

”So that’s why...” Cartman practically tears into the bag and starts munching them right away. “These don’t taste half bad.” I toss two to Craig. mentioning his sister’s name. and he smiles. giving me the middle finger. Tweek shakes with happiness next to Clyde who is still treating the bag like a holy relic. motioning it to the heavens. 

“Are these as sweet as y-y-y-you?” Jimmy says, making me smile. 

“These look delicious, Y/N!” Butters smiles, putting his cookies away out of Cartman’s reach. Cartman isn’t even halfway with his cookies, but he looks like he’s already scheming how to steal them from the others.

“Don’t even think about it.” Craig warns him, without looking at the gluttonous teen who huffs in response.

”Mmph mmp!” Kenny say,s standing to give me a hug when I hand him two bags.

“You’re welcome. The other one is for Karen.”

Stan and Kyle already untied their bags to get a taste, despite not eating their lunches yet. “I got some at home for Ike too, Kyle.” Kyle stops nibbling on his cookie to give me a smile. I give Kenny his lunch and leave the table, before Cartman starts whining for more cookies.

I spy Scott sitting with some other students and I casually hand it to him. He gives me a smile when I mention it is a 'thank you' gift and that I made his special with less sugar.

I spy Dovahkiin a couple tables away and hand them to him. He sends me a text with “Thanks :P”, he looks cute when he smiles.

I walk around the hallways looking for someone. before spotting him. Gary is walking out of the computer lab like I hope he would be, and I give him a bag. He gives me one of his signature angelic smiles, making me go blind. I tell myself to sue him for damages later.

”Goth baes!” I slam the door open once again. I hear their groan before I see them. I hand each of them a bag, telling them theirs is specifically made to pair well with black coffee. They don’t say anything, but they look pleased.

The last group of people I need to give a gift to makes me nervous. I search random places because I haven’t seen the cheerleaders at their usual spot in the lunchroom. I find them eating outside, and luckily, Wendy isn’t with them. The butterflies in my stomach dance as I approach them. Nichole, Red, Heidi, and Bebe spot me, dragging my feet so they leave the other cheerleaders, meeting me halfway.

”Hi.” I greet them, feeling nervous even though I saw Nichole last weekend. Nichole warmly smiles at me reassure me. I pull out the cookies out of my backpack, handing one to each of them. “Thank you for helping me. These are a 'thank you' gift.” Red and Heidi look surprised, but they quickly thank me in turns.

”Sorry for not talking to you this whole time.” Red regretfully apologizes.

”I’m sorry too. Can we be friends again?” Heidi asks me.

”We never stopped being friends.” I smile at them. “I understand why you kept your distance and I get if it’s too awkward to keep talking to me, but I’m happy I can call you two, friends." They give me their angelic smiles I missed. “My angels...” They giggle from the nickname, they haven’t heard in a long time. Bebe stays quiet, looking at the cookies before looking at me.

“I can’t accept these cookies.” She holds them out to me, “we aren’t friends.”

“Keep them. They’re for you.” I lightly push them back to her. She looks at the others, who urge her to keep them before giving me a small thanks, yet not looking me in the eyes.

“I invited Y/N to the slumber party on Saturday.” Nichole tells her.

”What?” Bebe’s eyes bug out. “What about Wendy?”

”We all know she isn’t going to come.” Nichole sighs. “She’s going to keep ignoring us for a while.” 

“She needs time to cool off.” Red adds, “it won’t hurt to have Y/N hang out with us for once.”

“It’ll be fun.” Heidi smiles at me, before looking at Bebe with pleading eyes. Bebe sighs and turns to me.

”I don’t mind you too much. It’s not like I dislike you, since you helped my furbaby.” Bebe looks away with a small blush, “it’s just awkward since Wendy is my best friend.”

”I understand.”

”It’s a girls only slumber party, so no crossdressing Butters and sneaking him in.” She warns me to my confusion. “I’ll tell you about that on Saturday.” She giggles, finally smiling at me and making me blush from how pretty she looks. I almost forgot how nice her smile is when it’s directed at me and not being followed by an insult. The cheerleaders leave me with the details of where Nichole lives, how I need to bring pajamas, and that Saturday will be rom com night. I head back to the guys feeling euphoric. I’m going to spend time with just girls.

When school is done for the day, Cartman announces while we're walking home, that I will be visiting his house and no one else is invited. Kenny, Kyle, and Stan try to persuade me not to go, since he's probably planning something, but I decline. Butters pouts, wanting to come as well, while Cartman continues bragging as we split up. They almost follow us, but Cartman threatens to shut the door in their face, so they don’t bother. I follow him without worry, much to their disappointment.

Cartman walks through his front door, not bothering to hold it open for me. I sigh from his thoughtlessness, nagging him to be more mindful of the person behind him. His mom happily greets me and leaves the house to do some errands. Cartman takes out some board games and card games we can play, starting with the simpler ones with faster play time. He thoroughly teaches me how to play, so that I can compete and properly challenge him. Some of the games are more strategic than the others, and some are collaborative instead of competitive, and I find myself having a lot of fun with just the big guy. The games are a nice distraction from our everyday life.

”You’re not too bad for a girl.” He says after I win a round of our current game. “I went easy on you.”

”What a coincidence, so did I.”

”Weak.”

”This is fun, thanks for inviting me. I didn’t know there was so many cool games. They have different gameplays and themes. I like it.”

”There’s all kinds. Ones that everyone knows like Monopoly just causes fights since it’s easy to grief each other. Some of these games are more complex and some even get turned into actual video games too. We all own some so that we can play different ones, without spending too much since some board games are pricey.”

“There’s all kinds, huh.“

”Some can be similar to each other so once you know how to play certain ones, learning the others get easier. There’s board game websites that rate how good a game is by avid players, it’s how we avoid generic versions that dilute the market of the more successful games. They really evolved over the years. There’s even ones that changes with each round we play. We literally have to destroy pieces of the game and the story changes, it’s in the rules. It’s fucking sweet.”

”Whoa. I like the cute ones we played.”

”You would.” He stands up from his chair. “That reminds me...” He walks off, not finishing what he is saying. I put the game pieces back into the box so we can play the next game. Cartman places on the table, a tiny teddy bear the small size of my hand, in front of me.

“What’s this? It’s so cute!”

”I won that at the amusement park. I didn’t get a chance to give it to you, because the _simps_ were around.” He sets up our next game, without looking at me. I recall when I saw him playing at the booths, looking visibly frustrated.

”Did you get this for me or was this the only thing you could win?“ I tease him, picking up the cute bear.

”That’s a loaded question, if you don’t want it, you can throw it away.”

”No, it’s mine. Thanks Eric.” I smile at him and he scratches his cheek, looking away.

“I saw you staring at it like a little kid, so me, being the great person that I am, decided to get it for you on a whim.” He explains, covering his face with the rulebook from the box. I put it in my backpack, thanking him for the cute gift. We play a longer game that ends in Cartman cheering, and me, grumbling. It’s late so I need to head out, but first, I help him put his game away. I accidentally knock some pieces under the table with my elbow. “Clumsyass.” Cartman sighs, sliding off his chair to join me under the table to help pick them up. He grabs the cards, and I pick up the tiny tokens and coins. I reach too far and trip over my own feet before, bumping my head on the table above us. Cartman witnesses the whole thing, howling from laughter as I reach around him, rubbing my head.

“It’s not that funny.” I mutter under my breathe.

“Ah Jesus, wish I got that on video,” he wipes his lips with his sleeve. “Oh.”

“What?” I ask as he sneaks off from under the table, looking through the cabinets from the living room. I'm confused, but I choose to prioritize the game board pieces. I place the pieces on the table, counting to make sure everything is there. From behind my head, I feel a tug. 

_Snip, snip_.

The sound of scissors makes me turn my head to see Cartman, holding a chunk of my hair in one hand and scissors in the other.

“Wh-what the fuck, Eric?” I back up, throwing my hands to my hair. A small portion of my hair is cut off.

“My gum got in your hair, so I helped you get it off.” He grins, moving the scissors in a cutting motion.

“What the fuck? Why didn’t you tell me?” I angrily shout, “you didn’t have to cut off my hair!”

“What’s up with you? I was just being nice.” He shrugs, offended by my lack of gratitude.

“You can’t just cut peoples’ hair without permission!”

“It’s just hair, it’ll grow back.” 

“Why do you do this? Doing things your way, without thinking about the other person?”

“Hello? I got gum off your hair?” He rebukes ,throwing my hair in the nearby waste binbin.

“By cutting my hair? You’re not a hairdresser! What if it looks bad? I probably could have taken it out without needing to cut my hair!”

“Eh. Geez, you want me to glue it back on or something? What’s done is done.”

“I can’t believe you!” I grab my backpack, not bothering to say goodbye as I rush out the door.


	41. New Apology

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dovahkiin's physical appearance is left to the Reader's imagination. My personal imagery has him with silver dyed hair with ear piercings.

I attempt to cool off my head. I slip on a hoodie to hide my hair and go to give Ike his cookies. His mom invites my family over for dinner when she sees me at the door. Kyle asks me about me how it went at Cartman’s, while our parents chat away, and I send him a text from underneath the table.

Me: Cartman? Who’s that?

He looks up to see me smiling, while watching Ike gobble up my cookies, despite his mom telling him to wait until after dinner. 

Kyle : What did Fatass do?

Me : Who? Doesn’t ring a bell.

He decides not to press me for answers.

The next day, Kenny, Stan, me, and Kyle are standing in that order, side by side, at the bus stop. Cartman silently walks past us, to stand next to Kenny, without looking at us.

”Dudes. It used to be just the four of us here. The four musketeers.”

”There’s three musketeers.” Stan corrects him.

”Yes. The three musketeers and one Jew.” He dramatically sighs. “When did it become five, when four is the perfect number?” Kenny and Stan turn to look at me, but I remain quiet, nuzzling my face deeper into my red scarf.

“What the fuck did you do to Y/N?” Kyle shouts over us to Cartman.

”I didn’t do anything. She’s the one that needs to apologize.” He folds his arm, looking away from us.

”What did he do?” A concerned Stan turns his head to me. Kenny furrows his eyes at Cartman from underneath his orange hoodie.

”If he just admits his mistake and apologize, we wouldn’t be having a problem.” I speak, clearly, hoping for the teen to catch a hint.

“I was just being a good friend and she treats me like this.”

The whole morning we remain passive aggressive towards one another. The guys try to figure out what happened, but neither of us will spill the details.

“It was bound to happen.” Craig speaks from beside me during lunch. Cartman and I are sitting at opposite ends of the tables, giving each other the silent treatment. “Want me to beat him up?” He asks me and I shake my head.

”Mya! It m-must have been something a-awful if Y/N is this upset!” Tweek fidgets, taking my hand into his, from across the table.

”She’s just over exaggerating. Bitch is probably on her period.” Cartman takes a bite out of his sandwich. Clyde, Kenny, and Stan frown at him. Kyle, who has been telling him to apologize, throws his hands up in frustration.

”Eric, you should apologize, fella.” Butters says, rubbing his knuckles together. “I don't know what you said or did, but Y/N is sensitive. What if you made her remember something bad?” My hand automatically twitches in Tweek’s which doesn’t go unnoticed by him or Craig. Butters' attempt to remedy the situation makes the air stand still. Cartman leans forward on the table to see my face.

”Did I trigger traumatic flashbacks about bubble gum?” He voices with a mocking attitude. I realize why I'm so upset. Usually, I forgive them immediately so my current reaction has been throwing everyone off. Butters is right, I’m not mad he cut my hair, I’m mad he made me remember something I'm trying to forget. It's something unpleasant, I don’t want to remember, especially not right now.

“Y-Y/N?” Tweek’s voice penetrates my thoughts. I’m squeezing his hand too tight but he hasn’t pulled away.

”S-sorry!” I let go of his hand, standing up to quickly leave. Before they can stop me, I rush to the library.

The quiet solitude of the place is always something I wish to seek when I feel out of sorts. I speed to the romance section, grab a random book, sit on the floor, and hide myself with the book over my head. The darkness from underneath the book, and the smell of the old dusty pages, is familiar. Someone pulls the book off my face. It’s the quiet teen with the ever experimenting fashionable styles.

”Dovahkiin? Hey.” I greet him. He sits next to me on the floor against the bookshelf, while typing on his phone.

Dovahkiin: That’s a weird way of reading a book.

”I’m a revolutionary.” I grin at him.

Dovahkiin: The book was upside down.

“It’s an art form. A social commentary about the world we live in, you wouldn’t understand.”

Dovahkiin: You sound upset.

”Too obvious? Maybe I should just text you too.“ I quietly laugh.

Dovahkiin: What’s wrong?

”Nothing.”

Dovahkiin: You’re a bad liar.

”This romance book is too sad.” I pull the book from out of his hand.

Dovahkiin: You like sad romances?

"No but it's the most realistic, right?"

Dovahkiin: I don't know about that.

"You're popular with the ladies, aren't you? I see them checking you out in class." I playfully elbow him, but he doesn't react.

Dovahkiin: Eh. Not interested.

"Why?"

Dovahkiin: If it requires too much effort, I rather not. Troublesome.

"I'm surprised, I heard you did so much with the guys. All of your adventures required a lot of time and effort on your part."

He puts a finger to his lips to remind me to keep it down since we're in a library.

"Whatever, I think you like it _doucheybaggy,_ " I chuckle in a lower volume. "Even though you don't seem interested you, you're the type to go with the flow?" He shrugs.

Dovahkiin: More like, I can't seem to get away from people.

It would be easier to ignore them but I guess I can't.

There's always something happening at South Park.

I don't want to be involved, but it looks like I'll have to.

"Is there something happening right now?" I ask him with big eyes and he shrugs in response. "You're nice." I lean back with a smile. He tilts his head, questioning me. "You're not a pushover, you just like helping people in need." He gives me a blank look, similar to Craig's signature expression, except Dovahkiin doesn't intimidate people or randomly flip them off. "Thanks for talking to me. You knew I was upset?"

Dovahkiin: It's kind of obvious when you have a book over your face while you're sighing to yourself. 

I start laughing, making him crack a smile.

"How did you know it was me?"

Dovahkiin: Besides your red scarf, everything else.

We leave the library together and a couple of students run past us, catching our attention. Hopefully, it’s not another school shooting. Stan said they're common, and to my horror, he even got shot once.

”Kyle and Cartman are fighting outside!” A student calls over his peers nearby. They run off in excitement. I exchange looks with Dovahkiin and we rush out after them, while ignoring a hall monitor trying to stop everyone from running. We end up outside where the Goth's usually hang. They're watching with a crowd of students and I spot our friends towards the middle of the group. At the center is Cartman and Kyle, glaring and circling around each other, like animals in a cage.

“Holy macaroni!" Butters excitedly shouts, hitting his knuckles together. "Beat him up, Eric!”

“Kick his t-t-t-teeth in, Kyle!” Jimmy hollers over the cheers. An amused Craig is watching the spectacle with clenched fists, he looks pumped.

“Kyle kick his ass!” Clyde cheers for him, "show him who's boss!" 

“J-Jesus Christ!” Tweek grabs his hair with both hands, watching the spectacle. Token gapes his mouth, judging the teens fighting with his eyes, while Kenny stares at the two from a distance with an indifferent expression. I gasp, feeling a mix of fear, disappointment, and anger towards my friends for being bystanders, not trying to break up the violence.

”Aww, awwwww...” Stan pinches between his eyes, looking fed up at the two. We make our way past some students to get a closer look and I see the two teens with their fists up, growling at each other. I think Kyle managed to hit Cartman since Cartman has a bloody nose.

“Apologize to Y/N, you fat piece of shit!” The redhead angrily demands at the larger teen.

”I don’t need to apologize to anyone! She needs to apologize to me!” Cartman spits, circling parallel with the green hat wearing teen.

"Screw you! Y/N doesn't need to apologize to you!"

"It's none of your fucking business, Goddammit!" Cartman rushes to Kyle first who easily dodges him. Kyle throws a quick punch, knocking Cartman down. Cartman falls before getting back up, tackling Kyle to the ground.

"Stop it!" I cry, but they don't hear me. I squeeze through the people before Craig makes his way to me, stopping me with his arm and blocking my path.

"Don't interrupt them, you might get hurt." He warns me, "just let them fight it out." Kyle gets punched by Cartman while he kicks Cartman off of him. Cartman looks startled by the amount of pain he receives and almost looks like he's going to cry.

"All of you...are such assholes!" I shout, grabbing both of their attentions. I run away before Dovahkiin grabs my arm, stopping me. I turn to wait for him to say something, before remembering he won't speak, so I shake off his grip off, before running back inside the school.

When we're in class, I refuse to talk to any of them. Kyle and Cartman have detention because Mr. Mackey caught the aftermath. The day began with me mad at only Cartman, and now school is ending with me upset with most of my friends. I sit far from them, not wanting to look or respond to any of them. To be honest, I feel like crying. The moment the bell rings, I run out of class, not waiting for any of them. I run as fast as I can out the school and down the snowy paths.

Not wanting to go home at this moment, I run in the direction of Stark's Pond, wanting to run to the quiet woods and not wanting to be around people. I just want to be by myself. I almost hurl from sprinting so fast as I place my arms against the tree, heaving over the ground. The tree offers good support as I sit against it with my knees close to my chest. Closing my eyes, I imagine myself away from everything and everyone.

"Are you crying again?" A deep voice cuts through the silence. I didn't hear anyone approaching and I look up to see a red eyed teen standing a few feet away. "Whatever is making you cry, is it worth it?" He asks, walking closer to me.

"Damien?"

"Y/N." He states, bending down in front of me so he can see me better.

"I'm not crying." I tell him and he leans his handsome face in closer to check.

"Are you about to?" He asks, without blinking. I stare back into his seemingly fiery eyes, suddenly feeling a bit self conscious.

"No, but aren't you a little too close? You don't know me that well."

"It's easy to read stupid people."

"I'm not a book." I frown at him as he casually peers at my face. His eyes trail to my scarf, before he looks back to me. "You always show up whenever I'm alone."

"Is that considered good timing, or bad timing, on my part?"

"Honestly? I don't know, but my timing is good since you're easy to talk to."

"You're lucky I even choose to talk to you. Most humans aren't worthy."

"Oh my God, do you have a god complex or something, you're highness?" I tease, but he smirks a knowing grin in response. "Don't take this the wrong way but you're eyes are pretty."

"You're making a move on me, Y/N? I thought you didn't like bad boys."

"I said not to take it the wrong way." I laugh, "and I don't think you're a bad boy."

"Yeah?" He smirks, showing his fang. Unlike Vampir, his seems real.

"Don't flatter yourself, fang boy."

"Cheeky. At least, you're not crying in front of the pond again." He chuckles. "What happened?"

"My friends are idiots, I don't get them. I usually don't get this emotional but they make me so angry." I take a deep breath, loudly exhaling.

"Leave them. You can make new friends."

"I don't want to."

"So they make you mad as fuck but you won't get rid of them?" He quirks his thick eyebrows at me as I shake my head. "Ditch the losers."

"No, I love them."

"You love those assholes?"

"Yeah...they drive me crazy but I think they're the only ones who make me feel this way." I widen my eyes at my words. "If I didn't love them as much as I do, I could brush it off easier, but because I love them so much, they make me so mad sometimes. They're the only ones who can get this kind of reaction out of me." I look at Damien who only looks perplexed.

"Your friends...mean that much to you?"

"They mean the world to me."

"They don't feel the same way, if they keep hurting you like this."

"Even if they don't, my feelings won't change."

"I think you should just forget about them."

"I would never forget them." I defensively tell him. He suddenly reaches out, grabbing the ends of my scarf and wraps my head within a second, darkening my vision. "Wha-?"

"Friendship is stupid."

I hear him over my scarf.

"So stupid."

I see him between the cracks of my scarf, but I don't understand the expression he's wearing. I move the scarf away from my face and he's gone. He leaves as quickly as he arrives, and I'm alone in the woods with just the trees.

I arrive at my house to an empty home since my parents aren't home again for the next few days. I don't bother making myself anything to eat, since I don't have an appetite. I close my curtains and lay in bed, thinking about everything. My feelings are a mess.

_'What do I want right now?'_

I don't know, I just know I'm upset, and it's because of my idiot guy friends. The guys have been calling me, sporadically, and I haven't pick up any of their calls. I just need some alone time before I can feel like myself again.

My web browsing on my phone gets interrupted by a tapping sound. I hear something hitting my window. Peeking from between the curtains, I see a green hat teen from below, throwing small pebbles at my glass panes. I shut the curtains, jumping back into bed, but he doesn't stop so I stomp my way down to go outside. He's in the process of throwing another pebble, when I run to him.

"Y/N-"

I drag him inside my home by the hand. When he closes the door, I slam my hand against his head, staring up at him with narrowing eyes. Kyle's eyes shake with his mouth gaping open.

"You dummy."

"Y/N?" His cheeks are turning red for some reason.

"Why did you fight Cartman?"

"He made you upset."

"That doesn't mean you should hit him!"

"He started it! If he just apologized to you and treated you right, none of us would have wanted to beat his ass." He explains while nervously glancing at my face, "you're too good to even be his friend."

"I don't like you, guys, fighting," I can feel my eyes well up, "you got hurt because of me." I place my hand on the edges of his bandaid over his cheek. "Why do my friends keep getting themselves hurt?" I step back at my sudden thought. "Is it my fault?"

"Wait no, it's not. Y/N, I'm sorry I got carried away, but I can't stand seeing you like that because of Fatass." Kyle's green eyes watch me, apologetically. I put my hands down to his shoulders and I rest my forehead on them. His body tenses up.

"You all drive me nuts."

“Y/N, I-“

“Thank you Ky.” I interrupt him, “I know you did it for me, but if anyone has to punch Eric, I will do it next time.” 

“All right.”

”You need to watch your temper, you know that?” I look up to him, the way he blushes tells me I’m too close to his face, so I lean backwards.

He clears his throat, “you’re not responsible for what Cartman or I do, so don’t blame yourself.” The doorbell rings, breaking our silence. Kyle opens the door and I peek from behind him. A cute brown haired teen is grinning with his dog on his leash.

”Huh, Kyle?” Clyde’s smile drops when he sees him.

”Clydey?” I move in front of Kyle. “What are you doing here?”

”I was in the neighborhood, walking my dog, and thought I would drop by.” He scratches his head as Rex comes around to jump on my leg.

”Aww Rex! Good to see you, buddy!” I coo to the old dog.

”Clyde, it’s ten o clock.” Kyle folds his arms, peering at the teen.

”So? And what are you doing here?” Clyde lifts his eyebrow at him.

”Ah!” We look to see a twitchy teen across the street. Tweek jogs up to my house. “W-what are you dudes doing h-here?” He interrogates them while blinking fast. Clyde and Kyle look at him as if asking the same question.

"Tweeki-khins, what are you doing here?" I smile from seeing his messy blond hair.

"I was worried about you, I wanted to m-make sure you were okay." His cheeks turns to shades of pink. We notice an approaching figure. Stan has his hands in his pockets, narrowing his eyes as he comes closer.

"What's going on here?" He looks at each boy in question, and then at me. "You okay, Y/N? I tried to call you, but you didn't pick up." I gape my mouth in confusion.

_'Why is everyone coming to see me right now?'_

"Go away, fucker!"

We hear two voices yelling at each other as they walk closer. 

"No way Craig, take your fucked up teeth and go somewhere else!" Cartman yells at Craig as they bump into each other's arms, rushing towards my house. "What the Hell?" He stops when they notice us and Craig furrows his eyebrows at the group.

"What are you dudes doing with Y/N?" Craig steps up as Rex tries to jump on his legs, feeling excitement around the boys.

"ACK! This is too much! I j-just wanted to make sure Y-Y/N was okay!" Tweek snaps.

"I came because I was in the neighborhood, and thought I should say hi to Rex's playmate, Y/N." Clyde whistles, trying to distract them with his furry friend. Stan doesn't hide an eyeroll.

"Seriously, that's the best you could come up with, Clyde?" Stan puts the spotlight on him.

"What about you?" Clyde asks, annoyed by the unwelcome guests.

"I w-was just taking a night stroll and wanted to check up on my bro, Kyle." Stan mutters, but the guys don't seem to buy his explanation, not even Kyle.

"I'm fine, man. Cartman is the one who got fucked up. I came to apologize to Y/N." Kyle says, straightening up next to me. "Unlike _some_ people, I have the decency to treat her like a friend." Cartman snarls his teeth at him, next to an aloof Craig.

"Why are you here, Craig?" Clyde asks, confused by the tall teen's presence. All eyes move to him.

"Just looking for my phone," he pats his pockets before taking out his phone, "found it."

"Dude." Clyde suspiciously squints his eyes at him. Craig flips everyone off, including me. 

"Why are you here?" Stan folds his arms at the largest teen in the group. Cartman looks angry from the onlookers.

"I only came to see Y/N. I don't care why you _simps_ are here."

"Whatever you want to say to Y/N, you can say in front of us." Kyle challenges him. I haven't said a single word. It's strange that all my friends are even here in front of my door, with me in my pajamas. I fold my arms over my chest, remembering I don't have a bra on. I'm internally panic for being braless, but none of them seem to notice because they are too focused, glancing at each other and at Cartman. I'm going to start sweating, if they don't leave soon.

"Hey fellas!" Butters runs down to us. "What's everyone doing?" He innocently asks with a cute smile. The guys groan in response.

"MMph?" Kenny suddenly appears from behind Tweek, making Tweek shout from surprise. Clyde's dog barks from the sudden shout.

"Can everyone keep it down?" I panic, "just, oh my God, just get in my house!" I demand, walking myself into the living room. They come in after each other, but Craig shoves Cartman on the way inside the door. They must have ran into each other on the way to my house. "You're lucky my parents aren't here." I sigh. Kenny pulls off his hoodie, jumping on my couch.

"My Princess is home alone and you, dudes, came to her house at this time of night?" Kenny wrinkles his eyebrows together.

"And what do you think you're doing?" Stan questions him. Kenny motions with his fingers, one finger into an okay sign, back and forth, but they don't seem to be in the mood for jokes so they glare at him.

"Just kidding!" He lifts his hands up to his chest with a playful grin. "Princess is upset so I came to cheer her up."

"It's Kyle's and Cartman's fault." Butters glances at them with a scolding look. "I snuck out the house because my bestie needed me. You two fellas should be ashamed."

"No." I finally speak up, drawing their attention. My arms are still folded over my chest, making me look defensive. "I'm mad at all of you."

"W-why?" Butters hits his knuckles together as Tweek pulls his own hair.

"Kyle and Cartman were fighting and none of you tried to stop them. Some of you even looked happy about it." I explain, shaking my head. "I'm...disappointed."

"GYA!" Tweek shouts as he and Butters hold their heads down in shame. Craig and Kenny don't look guilty, but they look away from me.

"They're just doing what guys do." Clyde attempts to persuade me, "we can't get between a fight between two dudes."

"Okay, I understand not wanting to get involved, but you were cheering!" I shout, making him gulp.

"So what?" Craig says, "it was funny."

"No, it wasn't!"

"Cartman deserved it and they needed to blow off some steam." Stan rationalizes it. "You wouldn't understand."

"We've fought before, it's nothing new." Kyle tells me. 

"Goddammit. If I knew you, Pussies, were going to be here, I wouldn't have come." Cartman grubbles.

"Why are you here?" I ask him, feeling irritated.

"I wanted to-"

"Apologize?" Kyle interrupts him, making Cartman shoot him a glare.

"I wanted to ask why you got so mad." Cartman asks me. "You don't get this mad at any of us, not even the Jew." All of them turn their eyes to me, wanting to know why as well. I tighten my arms around my chest, not wanting to be put on the spot like this, in front of everybody. This is awkward beyond belief. I glance at Butters who eyes widen in confusion. He seems to register my expression a second later.

"Wait. I don't think she wants to talk about it." Butters informs the group.

"Yesterday, I accidentally got gum in Y/N's hair. So I cut her hair with the scissors to help her, like the good person that I am, and then she got mad at me." Cartman says while still focusing on me. Kenny and Clyde shake their heads.

"Dude, you don't mess with a girls' hair." Clyde says to him, while petting his dog. "No wonder she's mad. Right Rex?" Rex barks in response, wagging his tail.

"Eric didn't ask me before cutting my hair." I tell them, making Kyle nod finally knowing why.

"Dude, really Cartman?" Stan pinches between his eyebrows.

"He's a Dumbass, nothing new." Craig deadpans.

"You messed up, Buddy." Butters shakes his head in disappointment. 

"That's not why I'm mad." I tell them, stepping in front of Cartman. "You made me remember something I wanted to forget. That's not important...I'm mad because it feels like you don't respect me. I had a great time yesterday, but then you hurt my feelings. Can you at least treat your friends like friends?"

"You said you wouldn't try to change me." Cartman says.

"You're not a dog who can't learn new tricks. No offense, Rexy."

The dog tilts his head when he hears his name.

"Geez." Cartman mumbles something incoherent.

"What?" I ask straining my ears.

"I said....." He continues mumbling beyond my hearing range.

"Eric..."

"I had fun too!" Eric shouts with his cheeks red. "Spending time with you is really fun! You're my friend so I won't treat you differently. I'll treat you like how I treat any of the bros here, and I do respect you. Even though, we make you mad, you still treat us nicely." The others nod, agreeing with him.

"I can steal your lunch and you would probably just say _'if you wanted my lunch that badly, I would have just shared_ ' or something cute like that." He says in frustration.

"Cute?" I start to blush for his unexpected confession. His sincere honesty surprises me, and judging by the others' expressions, so are they.

"I'm s-sorry." He mumbles, just loud enough for us to barely hear it. "For getting gum in your hair, for cutting it without asking, for making you think I don't respect you like a friend should." His cheeks are really red. If I'm not preoccupied covering my chest, I would be covering my gaping mouth from shock.

"I'm sorry too." Kyle speaks up, "I don't want you to think my fight with Cartman is your fault. I didn't control my temper." He admits. The rest of them mutter a quiet apology, even Craig, for not stopping them.

"We would probably fist fight with each other in the future, but we'll try not to hurt each other...too badly..." Craig tells me. "We're friends so we'll fight each other, you need to understand."

"Okay, I think I do." I smile at them. "You, guys, are so stupid, sometimes. I can't believe I'm friends with you." I laugh.

"We can't believe you're our friend either," Clyde laughs with everyone.

"Well, it's late. You, guys, should go home. We have school tomorrow." I nag them, but they don't seem to want to go home. "Thanks for checking up on me. I love you, guys." They shyly smile at my response.

"Can I sleep over?" Kenny playfully asks, now that the tension is gone. Stan pulls him away by the hoodie, with his other hand in his pocket, stepping outside.

"Y/N, are you cold?" Kenny looks down to my still folded arms as he's being dragged away.

"No, I'm not wearing a bra right now." I laugh, making every single one of the guys snap their necks to look at me, but I shut the door, immediately.


End file.
